The Master of Souls
by Kray98
Summary: Jeffric was a boy who lived in one of the small villages of Ionia, and his life was a nightmare. He was hated by his parents and treated like a trash by other kids in his village. But one day, he escapes to the forest he doesn't know about. He ventures through the vast forest and runs across the nine-tailed fox, a damaged soul like him . . . (includes a K/DA storyline)
1. Prologue

I ran past tree after tree, not stopping to catch my breath.

 _I have to escape_ , I thought, while looking around wildly.

I kept on running and running. My lungs were screaming for air, and my eyesight was getting blurry from exhaustion. I couldn't stop running, because I didn't want to die.

 _I don't want to die!_ My mind screamed in panic, _please, I want to live!_

The forest that was surrounding me was dark, and I could make out the glittering moon through the branches of the tall trees. It was beautiful and spooky at the same time, but I didn't have time to observe the scenery.

Suddenly, I tripped on a rock that was embedded in the ground, and I fell down. I quickly got up and continued running, ignoring my bruised legs and the knee section of my pants, which started to soak with blood.

 _I can't stop now. I can't stop now!_

Then I thought I heard her laughter from behind me. It made me run faster and faster while trying not to hobble. My legs muscles were aching, but I pushed them even harder.

 _I . . . have to . . . keep on . . . running!_ I thought to myself desperately. _I . . . have . . . to!_

Streams of sweat trickled into my eyes, making them sting. I wiped them with my tunic as quickly as possible, while trying not to smash into a tree.

Then I stumbled and fell again. But this time, I fell down a steep and rocky river bank. I rolled and rolled downwards, pain exploding from every part of my body until I splashed into a deep river.

Cold water hit me like thunder. As the water started to touch the wounds that I'd received from rolling downwards, I felt as if I was getting bitten from every part of my body.

I desperately swam through the current, trying not to go under and drown. I gasped for breath and inhaled river water. I coughed when water clogged my throat, but I continued to swim toward the other side of the water.

 _I can make it!_ I thought while pushing the river water with my hands as hard as I can. Then my hand grasped the dry and rocky riverbank. With all my strength, I pulled myself onto a small boulder. I inhaled air as fast as I could while coughing at the same time. I lay on the rock, my face facing the surface of the boulder. I was drenched with water and out of breath. But I'd escaped. I'd escaped from her!

Or so I'd thought.

Suddenly, a shadow blocked the dim moonlight which was shining onto me.

I froze.

Then, I started to tremble in fear. My heart started to pound quickly, and my eyes grew wide in terror.

I slowly looked up.

I saw a figure towering over me, her slender and shadowy outline making me tremble with fear even more. Her fox-like ears looked like horns, and an evil and seductive smile was widening on her face. Her nine tails unfurled out from behind her, and her golden eyes glinted maliciously in the moonlight.

"Play time's over," she said in a seductive, playful voice. Then she started to laugh softly, which sent shivers down my spine.

 _I'm dead . . ._ I thought, while my heart started to fill with despair. Then it started to fill with sadness. _It's not fair . . . I didn't escape my life to end up like . . . this . . ._


	2. Chapter 1

My trouble started when I ran out of my house in the middle of the night.

My parents were not good people. They were always drunk. They fought each other, cursed at me, punched me, and kicked me. They kept on telling me that I was a disgrace and my mere existence was an insult to them.

I was always covered with bruises and scars. I always cried at night, alone in the corner of my small, empty room without anyone to comfort me.

And every day, all the kids in the village picked on me. They teased me, splashed me with dirty water, imprisoned me in small spaces, threw rocks at me, and did other horrible things to me.

So, when I became fifteen, I vowed to myself that I'll escape this life and find a new, happy one. A week after I became fifteen, I ran away from my miserable and lonely life, into the nearest forest of Ionia.

Back then, I was confident that I would find a new life. But after days and days of traveling, I started to give up hope. My food rations were all eaten up, my shoes were falling apart, and my strength was failing me.

* * *

One afternoon, while ignoring my sore muscles and my hungry stomach, I stumbled through some bushes and saw clothes lying on a huge boulder. I should've just ignored them and continued hiking in the opposite direction, but my curiosity got the better of me. I looked at the clothes more closely.

There was a short one-piece dress which was made of layers of red and white silk, had two long, red and white silk sleeves, and long shoes of some sort. The one-piece dress and the sleeves were decorated with beautiful golden lines that looked elegant and sharp.

 _Interesting_ , I thought, _who would leave their clothes behind in this forest?_

Then, from underneath the short one-piece dress, I saw something glinting in the sunlight. I pushed it aside with my hand and saw a pair of matching golden gemstones. Each one had the shape of a blazing flame, but they were carved in such a way that their sharper edges fit together, forming a perfectly smooth orb.

"Oh my," I gasped in wonder when I saw it. I reached down and gently grasped them in my hands. I examined them more closely and saw that it was a beautiful work of art.

"If I sell these pair of gemstones in a market," I said allowed. "Maybe I could buy myself some food."

The thought of slices of bread, delicious fruits, and chunks of meat made my mouth water and my stomach growl. I imagined myself eating them and licked my lips. I was so eager about the food that I forgot about the fact that these gemstones were someone else's property.

 _But first, I need to get out of this vast forest_ , I thought.

I carefully put the twin gemstones in my pocket, and was about to continue on my way, but stopped when I heard splashes of water nearby.

 _What was that?_ I thought to myself and crawled over the boulder to see where the sound had come from.

I was met with the sight of a big and blue lake, which was reflecting the light. Then I saw where the sound had come from. In the middle of the big lake, a woman with long raven hair was bathing herself in the lake's water, her back turned to me. Thankfully, only her head and neck were exposed while the rest of her body was in the lake.

I froze, instantly, and my face started to heat up. I was witnessing a woman who was bathing!

I was about to run away when I noticed something weird. From this distance, I thought that I saw a pair of fox ears on her head. I squinted my eyes, trying to make out if they were fox ears, and froze when I saw her turning toward my direction. I quickly crouched behind the boulder and crawled away into the bushes.

 _That was close_ , I thought to myself while crawling away.

* * *

After hours of walking through the forest, I fell onto the ground, my stomach aching for food. I tried to sit up again, but my arms failed me. I was sprawled on the ground, tired and hungry at the same time.

 _Must go on_ , I thought to myself, but my body was aching all over. I breathed heavily while trying again to stand up. _I didn't escape my old life to end up lost in this forest!_

My vision was suddenly filled with hallucinations of all sorts of food, making my stomach growl even more.

I finally stood up and started to stumble forward, trying hard to catch the hallucinations with my hands in vain.

I kept on going and going, stretching my hands out towards the hallucinations. Then I stumbled across some berry bushes. Rows and rows of wild red berries were in front of me, ready to be eaten.

"Are these hallucinations?" I asked myself.

I collapsed onto my knees in hunger. I started grabbing the berries with both of my hands and stuffed them into my mouth. It turned out that they were not fake. I started chewing happily while savoring the sweet taste. The juices of the berries dribbled down my chin while I was chewing.

After stuffing myself with wild berries, and satisfying my stomach, I spotted a cave through the tall trees.

I looked up at the sky and saw that the sun was setting.

 _I guess I found myself a place to stay for the nigh_ _t._

I walked through the trees until I was standing in front of the cave. It was a rocky cave, placed under a tall cliff. When I glanced into it, I couldn't see the end of the cave. While praying to the heavens that this cave was not already inhabited, I entered it and sat down. I leaned against the rocky wall and sighed heavily.

I had been traveling through this forest for five days, and I was regretting not finding a map of Ionia or something. My parents never allowed me to touch, let alone read, the books in our house's bookcases, and they never let me go into the forest. And, there were no libraries or school in my village, because it was a farming village, so I couldn't seek knowledge. Everybody in the village avoided me, so I couldn't ask anyone.

There was a possibility of a map of Ionia or at least a map of the forest in the bookcases, but when I escaped, I was so excited that I forgot to scavenge for it.

I never knew what was outside the village, only heard some tales of it.

And while I was walking deeper and deeper into the forest, the more and more I punched myself for not looking through the bookcase. But it was too late because if I returned, my parents would not let me see the sunlight, again.

I was leaning against the cave's wall for some minutes. It was really uncomfortable, but it was better than nothing. I turned my head to the entrance of the cave and saw that it was getting dark. I yawned and turned my head toward the opposite direction and looked at the dark depths of the cave.

 _That is scary_ , I thought to myself. Then my brain helpfully started to remind me of those old and scary folktales that I'd heard when I was a kid. A tale about a ghost of a dead adventurer that haunts the forests of Ionia, a monster that eats children at midnight, and a nine-tailed fox demon that sucks the life out of its victims.

That was why I was awake for some hours before drifting into sleep.

* * *

I n the deepest depths of the cave, there was an altar made of blue rock. And on the big blue altar, there was a gigantic magical blue orb, shimmering and glowing with warmth. Its surface was swirling around like the sand in the windy desert. The magical orb was ten times as big as a cannonball and it looked majestic as if it was made by the gods themselves. The altar was surrounded by four blue pillars, which were inscribed with runes of some sort.

Suddenly, the shimmering orb started to divide into millions of pieces while hovering above from the altar. Then they started to float toward the direction of the faraway entrance.

When the pieces of the glowing magical orb were almost near the entrance, they spotted the boy that they'd sensed. The boy that they'd sensed from the depths of the cave was sleeping deeply. The boy was skinny, bony to be more precise, and slender while his body was covered with old bruises. He had smooth and long brown hair that reached his neck. He was wearing a brown tunic and tattered gray pants. His ragged shoes were exposing the boy's bruised feet, which was not a pretty sight.

They all floated toward the boy, and when the boy started to breathe in the air, all the pieces of the magical orb flowed into him. And a few seconds later, they were all gone.


	3. Chapter 2

When I woke up, I felt so refreshed. I stood up, expecting to feel my sore muscles again, but strangely, I felt no pain.

I blinked my eyes in confusion. Then I looked down at my hands and clenched and unclenched them for a moment. By some miracle, I felt much stronger than yesterday!

I stretched my back and wiped my face with both of my hands. Then I stepped out of the cave.

By the looks of it, it was early morning. I yawned and started to walk again. Another day of walking, another day of making my body sore.

 _Just how big is this forest?_ I thought to myself while walking through some bushes.

* * *

It was late afternoon when I suddenly felt a strange sensation on my back. At first, I thought it was my back aching again. Then I stopped in my tracks because I realized what the strange sensation was.

It was the sensation when other kids in my village were coming from behind me (stalking, to be more precise) to throw rocks or to punch me. But it was impossible due to the fact that I was not in my village but in a forest. But why am I sensing that someone was stalking me?

I whirled around and saw nothing, only rows of tall trees, clumps of bushes, and some boulders.

I scratched my head in confusion and turned around to continue walking but froze when I felt that sensation again. I whirled around again and saw nothing again.

 _Relax, Jeffric_ , I thought to myself. _It's just a trauma of your past. Nothing more._

I continued to walk again, and this time, the sensation didn't come again.

* * *

The sun was setting, so I tried to find somewhere to stay for the night but found none.

"I guess I should sleep outside tonight," I mumbled. Luckily, I discovered a clearing while I was trying to find somewhere to stay. And, I found a stream nearby, flowing down toward the southern direction (I was walking toward the east direction since day one of my escape, by the way), so I didn't have to worry about thirst.

I sat down in the middle of the clearing for some minutes. When the sun was gone from the sky and night was settling over the forest, I lay down on the grassy ground while staring up at the sky. The night sky was filled with thousands of stars, glowing like pearls. I always loved stars because when I saw them, they gave me warmth for whatever reasons.

I yawned, and sleep started to take over. Then, I closed my eyes.

* * *

I woke up in the middle of the night because I was so thirsty. I groggily stood up and trudged toward the direction where the stream was located. I trudged pass some trees until I was standing beside the stream. I crouched down and put both of my hands into the stream. Then, I scooped a handful of water and took a seep.

After that, I stood up and started to head back toward the clearing and stopped when I heard something landing on the grass beneath me. I looked down and saw that the twin gemstones that I'd taken previously had come out from my pocket and fell onto the ground. I'd almost forgotten about it!

I picked it up and looked at it. Now, I kind of felt guilty about taking this strange, yet beautiful gemstones from the previous owner. But it's already too late to return it. So, I stuffed it into my pocket and started to head toward the clearing. That was when I heard someone or something stepping on the grass behind me. Then I started to feel the sensation on my back again.

I stopped in my tracks. My heart starting to thump harder and my body started to shiver with sudden fear.

"Wh-who's there?" I asked while not looking back. I detected some trembling in my voice, but I didn't care. My mind started to race. Who or what was behind me? A hunter? Maybe a wolf? Or maybe a traveler like me? Or even—

I gulped. Or even a monster that eats humans who were alone in the forest at night?!

I slowly turned around while closing my left eye in fear.

There was nothing behind me. I sighed with relief.

 _My imagination is going wild again_ , I thought to myself and started to walk toward the clearing again, while still looking over my shoulder. _Just an imagination, Jeffric. Just an imagina—_

Suddenly, I walked straight into something. I turned my head quickly toward the front and saw that I _had_ walked straight into _someone_. A woman, to be more precise.

"Wh-what the—" then I stopped because the person that I'd walked into was wearing something that I'd recognized. The one-piece dress which was on the boulder, near the lake. While the sensation of fear was returning to my mind, I slowly looked up to see the woman's face. Her face was inhumanly beautiful with her mesmerizing golden eyes and her artistic lips. She had a long darkish-blue hair that was glinting in the dense moonlight, and a pair of fox ears stuck out from amongst her hair. And nine fox tails were swaying behind her like grasses in windy days.

 _Oh no . . . It can't be . . ._

This woman was the person who was bathing in the lake two or three days ago.

I gulped while my eyes were growing wider in terror. I stumbled back quickly, making some distances between me and her.

The woman had an amused smile on her face, which was beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

"Where do you think you're going, little one?" she asked in a soft and seductive voice which made my skin crawl.

"Wh-who a-are you?" I asked while trembling uncontrollably with fear.

"You've something that really means a lot to me," she continued, ignoring my question completely. Then she stepped closer to me while saying much more softly than before. "Give it back."

"Wh-what do you m-mean?" I lied while stepping back again.

"I mean the twin gemstones that you put in your pocket," she said in a soothing voice while stepping closer again. "Now, hand it over to me, dear."

I reached for my pants pocket with my trembling hand, to give the woman the twin gemstones. Then hesitated when I remembered what I was going to do with the twin gemstones; I was going to sell it and buy some delicious food that I'd never eaten in my life. Then I imagined what would it be like if I didn't have the twin gemstones to sell; I would be sitting at the corner of a village's street, begging for money to passersby.

So, I decided what to do.

I reached for my pants pocket again with my hand, then at the last second, I quickly kicked the woman's right leg with my foot.

While she was clenching her right leg with her both hands, yelping in pain, I made a run for it. I ran and ran, jumping across the stream and ran past tree after tree while praying that she won't catch me and trying to get my mind to accept that I'd just kicked the legendary nine-tailed fox demon in the right leg.

The legendary nine-tailed fox demon straight out of the folktales.


	4. Chapter 3

So that was how I got here, lying helplessly in front of the legendary nine-tailed fox demon. When I was a kid, I'd nightmares about the folktales of the nine-tailed fox demon. But I always reassured myself that it was just a story, nothing else. But now, _the_ nine-tailed fox was standing in front of _me_.

 _I'm dead_ , I thought while staring up at the fox woman in terror. _This is the end . . . I'm done for . . ._

* * *

When Ahri was bathing in the lake, she'd thought that she saw someone at the corner of her eyes. But when she looked, there was no one there. Even though she didn't see anything, she investigated and saw that someone had taken her gemstones and had left an obvious trail behind him or her.

She followed the obvious trail.

It didn't take long to see who'd taken her gemstones.

She'd watched the thief from behind, without him noticing, although he'd suspected that someone was watching him.

Now, she'd caught him, and she could look more closely at the boy's face. The boy had smooth and long brown hair that reached his neck, now wet due to the water, and the boy had a pair of big innocent-looking green eyes, which was now filled with fear.

Plus, the boy's body was trembling uncontrollably.

Ahri smiled at the boy, which made the boy tremble with terror even more.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," she said in a soothing tone. The boy didn't answer, but he just stared up at her with fear still in his eyes.

Ahri closed her eyes and reached into the boy's mind. Then her mouth suddenly dropped open in surprise.

The boy's mind was filled with centuries amount of life essence and memories, which was impossible because he was only a human. She pushed her confusion to the back of her mind and concentrated at the boy's mind. Then, she grasped it.

When Ahri opened her eyes, the boy had stopped trembling. He looked as if he was hypnotized by a magician; his eyes blank and transfixed to her. His pupils had turned from green to dark green and his expression was blank too.

"What's your name, little one?" she asked while smiling down at the boy.

"Jeffric," he answered in a hollow voice. "My name is Jeffric."

"Well, Jeffric," Ahri said. "Stand up and come closer."

The boy stood up from the rock that he was lying on, and stepped closer to Ahri, still looking up at her with his blank eyes.

"Give back my gemstones," she purred at him while crossing her arms across her chest.

Jeffric put his hand into his pocket and pulled out her twin gemstones. He held it out in front of him, and Ahri took it. Then she noticed that Jeffric was trying to resist her, trying desperately to run far away from her as possible. She even felt Jeffric trying to squirm out of her grasp.

Ahri leaned closer to the boy, until she was face to face with him, their noses almost touching.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, Jeffric," she whispered to the boy in a comforting voice. "I'm just going to indulge myself with a small portion of your life essence."

She closed her eyes once again. She could see Jeffric's body filled with life essence, and she dug deeper and deeper into it. The boy's own life essence was surrounded by other life essences which were definitely not his. Then she finally reached the boy's memories. She then inhaled, drawing some parts of the boy's own essences of life out of his body and into her mouth.

 _. . . Jeffric looked as if he was four years old, and he was being chased by six kids—who looked as if they were around Jeffric's age—in his village. Jeffric was terrified and frightened. He ran through streets after streets, trying to lose them, but later he was caught up by the other kids. The other kids tackled him onto the dirt street and started to punch him over and over or kicked him over and over, ignoring Jeffric's screams. Then the kids started to laugh when Jeffric began to cry. Other adults who were passing them didn't even look at Jeffric. . ._

 _. . . Jeffric was trapped in a small storage room. He was pounding his fists against the storage room's wooden door while screaming and pleading for help. He only heard laughter coming from the other side. Then, he heard the kids from the other side of the door leaving. He yelled even louder, but they just ignored him and walked away, leaving him behind. Jeffric leaned against the door and slid down while covering his face with both of his hands. Then he began to sob. He felt so sad and lonely . . ._

 _. . . Jeffric opened the door of his house. He stepped out quietly and closed the door behind slowly. Jeffric was looking around cautiously while holding some food rations in his hands. Jeffric was feeling tense and excitement. It was nighttime, and everything was dark. Every house in the village was dark and everybody was sleeping . . ._

Ahri stopped and opened her eyes. She felt refreshed as if she'd drank water after running around for hours. But she felt something else too; sympathy. She stared at Jeffric. He was still dazed, and his eyes were still blank.

Ahri gently seized the boy's hand and took him toward the clearing where he was sleeping.


	5. Chapter 4

Many glimpses of memories went through my mind as if they were arrows. I saw happy families that I didn't recognize, cities and towns that I'd never seen before, and battles and wars happening between countries that I'd never learned in my life. I felt happiness, sadness, anger, and fear at the same time. Those memories kept on whizzing past me, just showing some glimpses. Suddenly, every memory started to mingle with each other, all becoming one and giving me a headache. And all the emotions started to break me apart. Then . . .

* * *

I woke up from my sleep. I noticed that I was lying in the middle of the clearing. It was already morning, and my muscles were aching.

 _What a dream_ , I thought to myself. _I first dreamed about being chased by the nine-tailed fox demon, then, I dreamed about a lot of . . . memories and emotions?_ I shook my head and started to get up. Then I was face-to-face with the fox demon.

I screamed and fell onto my back. Then I started to get up again but screamed, this time louder, when I was again face-to-face with the fox demon.

The nine-tailed fox demon was crouching in front of me, studying me with an amused smile on her face.

"Calm down, Jeffric," the fox demon said in a reassuring voice. "I'm not going to bite you, or anything."

"H-how did you k-know my name?!" I yelled at her. I tried to crawl backward, but my arms didn't respond.

"I have my ways," she drawled. Then she stood up, turned around, and started to walk toward something. "Come on," she said while glancing back at me. "Breakfast's ready."

I looked at her in confusion, then looked past her and saw that there was a campfire at the edge of the clearing. And the fox demon was holding a pair of something above the campfire, and I guessed that they were something delicious because of the good smell.

I stood up slowly and looked at the fox demon, who had her back turned on me.

I thought about running away but decided against it. I started to remember being chased by her, and I learned from that experience that it was pointless. And, she was not acting hostile toward me, so I guessed it was safe to go.

I slowly walked toward her while glancing sideways if there was a good escape route, even though I knew that it was useless.

The fox demon was sitting in front of the campfire, holding two sticks in each of her hands. Each had a big piece of meat speared onto its tip, and she was holding it above the campfire, letting them roast slowly.

When I was approaching her, the nine-tailed fox demon turned around and smiled at me, which gave me chills.

"Here you go," she said and handed me one of the big pieces of pierced meat. I took it by the stick with my trembling hands and walked, stumbled, around the campfire and sat down, facing the fox demon with the campfire in the middle. She was not hostile, but I wasn't sure if I could trust her.

I carefully bit off a small chunk of the meat and started to chew. The delicious taste of the meat exploded inside my mouth, making my eyes grow wide. For days, I ate food rations, and when I ate all the food rations, I started to eat wild berries and sometimes, even some leaves! Now, I was eating a slice of delicious meat, which was roasted by the nine-tailed fox. So, I started to eat it as fast as I could.

The nine-tailed fox looked at me with an amused smile on her face, while eating her meat.

When I finished eating, the fox demon was extinguishing the campfire by throwing dirt onto it.

"Umm . . . C-Can I ask you s-something, m-miss?" I asked tentatively.

"Yes, you may," she said while glancing at me for a second. Then she continued to extinguish the campfire. "And call me Ahri."

"Umm . . . A-Ahri, why am I s-still alive?" I asked. "I thought that you d-devoured the souls of your v-victims."

Ahri had extinguished the campfire completely. She laughed softly before answering my question while looking up to face me. "That was a long time ago, Jeffric," she said. "Now I've changed."

Was that sadness in her eyes? Maybe I'd imagined that.

"B-but I stole your g-gemstones," I continued while my heart was thumping really quickly with panic.

"Well, I was going to punish you for that," she said while sitting on the ground. "But I changed my mind."

"O-oh."

 _Thank god!_ I thought.

This situation was really bizarre to me; I was chased by the legendary nine-tailed fox demon, who appeared in lots of legends and folktales that I'd heard since I was really young, and I was captured by her, but I forgot what happened next. Now, I woke up and ate breakfast with the fox demon! And she looked more beautiful than I'd imagined. Plus, she was now facing me, and we were only a few inches apart!

 _This must be a nightmare_ , I thought to myself. _This couldn't be real, right?_

* * *

Ahri looked at Jeffric for a second. He was fidgeting nervously and was not meeting her eyes. Then she spoke.

"So, Jeffric," Ahri said. "What're you doing in this forest?"

Of course, she could guess by the memories she'd consumed, but she was still curious.

"Just . . . R-Running away," Jeffric said.

"Oh."

Ahri knew that he was hiding some facts, but she decided not to push.

She could always consume his memories when she really needs to.

"B-By the way," Jeffric said. "I'm r-really sorry about s-stealing your gemstones."

"It's ok," she answered while sighing. "I'm used to it now."

Then she paused and looked at the boy with curiosity in her eyes. "But why did you steal them, anyway?"

Jeffric looked nervously at Ahri. "I-I was going to sell it in the nearest v-village that I c-come across to buy f-food before trying to find a job."

"I see," Ahri said. Then she paused for a second. "I know where the nearest village is."

Jeffric looked at her with surprise. "R-Really?"

"Yes," Ahri said while smiling. "In fact, I'm traveling to that village myself. We can go there together!"

 _It would be great to have someone with me_ , Ahri thought. _And maybe I could learn why this boy has an impossible amount of memories and life essence inside him . . ._


	6. Chapter 5

I stared at her with my mouth opened wide. "W-What?" I asked in a confused voice.

"I said," Ahri said slowly as if I was a baby (by the way, she _might_ be hundreds or thousands of years old, so it might be true), "we could go there together."

I stared at her.

 _If I go with her_ , I thought, _she could devour my soul!_

But, she wasn't acting hostile right now. Plus, she would've just killed me while I was sleeping if she wanted.

 _Maybe it's safe to go with her?_ I wondered. Then I frowned. _But she is the nine-tailed fox demon from those legends and folktales!_

I kept on pondering my options, which were not many.

At last, I made my choice.

"S-Sure, why not?" I squeaked.

Ahri smiled at me while standing up. "Excellent!" she said while turning around. "Now follow me."

She started to walk toward the other side of the clearing.

I stood up slowly and started to follow her.

 _This is a bad idea, this is a bad idea, this is a bad idea!_ My mind yelled.

 _Shut up, shut up, shut up!_ I yelled back mentally at my mind. _Stop making me panic!_

But my mind kept on yelling at me that this was a bad idea.

I sighed heavily while looking at Ahri's back, which was obscured by her nine fluffy foxtails.

 _There is nothing to worry_ , I reassured myself. _I_ _mean, what could go wrong, anyway?_

I shouldn't have thought of that, because I got jinxed.

* * *

"How long does it take to arrive in the village?" I asked her. While we were traveling, Ahri didn't make any moves to attack me or something, so I started to calm down. _I guess it's safe?_ I thought.

"One or two days," she answered while looking up at the sky.

I looked up, too, and saw that it was getting dark.

"Umm . . . I think we should find somewhere to stay," I said while looking around. The forest's trees were getting shorter and shorter when we kept on walking. And, the terrain became less rough than before.

"You're right," Ahri agreed while glancing around. Then she pointed at a cave nearby. "How about staying in that cave?"

I nodded while walking toward the cave. The cave was located at the side of a rocky hill, which was covered by some trees. It wasn't large, but not small either. Its entrance was tall enough to talk through, and it was almost obscured by some vines, which I'd to tear it down while entering.

The inside of the cave was kind of small, square-shaped, and looked as if it could be filled with five horses.

I sat down at the corner of the rocky cave and sighed deeply while massaging my legs with my hands.

Ahri sat down at the other corner of the cave, gazing at the entrance.

"Aren't you hungry?" Ahri asked while turning her head to look at me.

"No," I said. "I'm still full, but thanks for asking."

Before we found this small cave, Ahri had found some trees that grew some red fruits. She plucked one out of the tree and ate it. She'd offered me one, but I'd declined because my stomach still felt full after eating that meat that Ahri had made.

Now come to think of it, it'd been a long time since I ate one. The last time I ate a slice of meat was two or three years ago when my parents left a small piece of beef which they let me eat. I was regretting not eating that meat slowly, savoring the taste. I was so hungry back then when Ahri gave me the meat that I'd forgotten about this fact.

While I was regretting that, Ahri was standing up again.

I looked at her while starting to massage my arms.

"I'll collect some firewood," she said. "The weather is getting colder, these days."

"OK."

I rubbed my forehead while yawning.

 _I'm so sleepy_ , I thought while massaging the back of my neck.

A few moments later, Ahri entered the cave again while carrying some firewood in her arms. She put them down in the middle of the small cave. Then she suddenly twirled around, and before I could say anything, three blue flames appeared out of nowhere and flew down toward the firewood like shooting stars. When they collided, the wood caught fire and it started to burn.

I gazed at the burning firewood with wonder.

"W-Wow!" I exclaimed. "H-How did you do that?!"

"Magic," she simply answered and sat down at the corner again.

Magic? I only heard about them, but I'd never seen them with my own eyes. Now, I saw it in action!

"Can you do other magic, too?" I asked with excitement.

"Yes," she answered while laughing softly.

"Can you show me?"

"Maybe later," she answered and yawned. "I'm too tired now."

I nodded while looking back at the burning firewood.

 _Magic_ , I thought while letting my eyes close slowly. _I just saw magic . . ._

* * *

Ahri looked at Jeffric who was now sleeping deeply.

 _It has been a long time since I talked to a human like this_ , she thought. Then she yawned while leaning her back against her nine tails, which were acting like a pillow against the rocky wall. _I hope this lasts long . . ._


	7. Chapter 6

Ahri woke up at dawn. She opened her sleepy eyes and turned her head to the place where Jeffric was sleeping. Her sleepiness abandoned her when she saw an unbelievable sight.

Life essence was surrounding the sleeping boy, seeping into him as if he was a sponge. The essence was coming into the cave through the cave entrance, making a trail of blue light. The blue glow of the life essence in the dark cave looked beautiful and mysterious at the same time.

Ahri slowly stood up and approached cautiously while looking at the life essence which was swirling around the boy like mist.

She moved her hand cautiously toward the floating essence and touched it. Strangely, it felt like as if she was touching water vapor.

She leaned closer and the life essence started to pour into her. The pleasurable sensation overwhelmed her, and she saw bits and pieces of memories in her mind. She leaned back after a few seconds of indulging in the sensation and looked at the boy curiously.

"What is happening to him?" Ahri asked herself silently. She'd lived for a long time, but she never had seen a situation like this before. A boy who could absorb life essence . . .

Then a thought struck her.

 _What if this boy can do magic?_

Ahri thought about that possibility for a moment. Then it was interrupted when she heard growling from the boy's stomach.

"I guess you're hungry," Ahri said to the sleeping boy, who of course, didn't answer.

So Ahri went out of the cave and ventured through the forest, hunting for animals. She sniffed the air and smelled a wild boar nearby. She silently ran through bushes while tracking down the boar.

After running for some minutes, she found a medium-sized boar sleeping between two tall trees. She silently approached the creature while summoning a sphere of blue energy in her palm.

The boar suddenly woke up and, when it saw Ahri, charged directly at her while grunting with anger.

Ahri threw the sphere of energy at the charging boar, which went through the boar and flew back into her hand.

The boar squealed with pain and staggered backward. Before it could do anything, Ahri summoned the three flames with the flick of her wrist. The three spinning flames streaked through the air and engulfed the wild boar.

It squealed for a moment while writhing in agony, until it fell sideways, dead.

Ahri approached the dead boar quickly and looked down at it. It was burnt pretty badly, but good enough to eat.

So, she grabbed the dead wild boar's hind legs and started to drag it toward the direction where the cave was.

"One dead boar coming right up!" Ahri said in amusement.

* * *

I woke up feeling really refreshed. I looked around after stretching my arms into the air. Then I noticed that Ahri was gone!

"Where did she go?" I asked no one.

Suddenly, Ahri entered the cave while dragging a dead boar behind her.

"Here's breakfast!" Ahri said cheerfully while dropping the boar's hind legs.

I stared at her. Then I stared down at the boar. Its fur was burnt badly, exposing burnt flesh.

"How?" I asked her in bewilderment.

"Magic," she simply answered while opening her palm. Suddenly, a blue sphere of magic appeared out of nowhere!

I stared at it with disbelief.

"Wow!" I exclaimed while sitting up. "That's amazing!"

Ahri playfully tossed the sphere from one hand to another. "Beautiful, isn't it?" She asked.

"Yeah!" I stared at the sphere as if I was hypnotized by it. It was shimmering with this magical light that I couldn't describe even with words, but I'll try my best. If water and air morphed into an orb, maybe it would look like the magical sphere that Ahri was holding. Oh, and a small fox-shaped outline was inside the sphere, floating as if it was in the water.

Then she threw it into the air, and it disappeared.

"Now let's prepare for breakfast, shall we?" Ahri asked.

* * *

I never knew that I was really hungry before eating the boar meat.

While I was cutting the dead boar with a pointy stone, Ahri started the fire. Then we started to roast them on the fire.

After all the preparation was over, we started to eat.

I wolfed down the slightly burnt wild boar meat, while Ahri ate hers calmly.

"You remind me of myself when I was growing up with the icefoxes," Ahri said while laughing softly.

"What are icefoxes?" I asked after swallowing a big chunk of the meat.

"They're foxes that live in the snowy section of Ionia," Ahri said while wiping her mouth with her sleeve.

After we finished breakfast, we continued the journey to the village, unaware that we were being watched.

* * *

"Are you sure that's her?" A man asked from the top of one of the trees, spying on the boy and the vastayan.

"Yep," another man said. "A vastayan with nine tails. That's her."

A dozen of bandits were perched on branches of trees, with their weapons slung behind their backs. They all had greedy looks on their faces.

"But I still don't know who that boy is," the man said.

"Who cares? The fox only matters! If we capture that vastayan alive," the first man said, "we'll be rich!"

Everybody chuckled with silent laughter.


	8. Sorry

Guys, I have a problem. A gigantic problem. The bullies in my school found out that I was writing this fanfic and that I was uploading this fanfic chapter by chapter on this site. Now I'm having much more tough time than usual in my school. My name is on the hall of shame right now, alongside with guys who watched 'inappropriate' videos (you'll get the idea) in school, some girls who caught reading cheesy light novels, and couple of guys and girls who had done embarrassing things in the school.

The bullies know this account and everything. I'll continue writing this when all the bullies forget about this. I'm really sorry.


	9. Chapter 7

"Wow," I said in awe while my eyeballs were trying to get out of my sockets because of the beautiful sight.

Another kind of forest suddenly appeared out of nowhere. We were walking through the usual forest, then suddenly, we entered this another forest that I'd never seen before.

What I was trying to say was that this new forest that we'd entered was really different from what I was used to.

Normal forest had normal trees (like oak trees), flowers, grass, and etc.

But this new forest had trees that I'd never seen before, flowers that were ten times more beautiful than an ordinary flower, other plants that looked as if they came from a different world, and majestic animals that looked as if they'd come straight out of a fairytale (like deer that had colorful fur, birds that had unique feathers, and reptiles that were glowing under the shadows of the leaves).

In other words, the sight was beautiful. The sight just made me feel as if those magical tales had come into reality.

"Finally," Ahri sighed. "We're in the normal side of Ionia!"

"Normal side?" I asked Ahri in a confused voice, because to me this wasn't a "normal" side. Since my birth, I thought that Ionia was just an ordinary place where only ordinary things lives, not a place where there are beautiful and magical wildlife inhabiting on the ground.

"Yes, little one," Ahri answered cheerfully, "you were missing out _a lot_."

I frowned. All this time, I thought that these kinds of places only existed in stories. But, they existed in reality all along!

I felt as if I was fooled all my life.

Wait, technically, I _was_ fooled all my life!

 _This is depressing_ , I thought.

"Yes," I said and sighed. "I _was_ missing out a lot . . ."

"Well, cheer up, Jeffric," Ahri said while patting me on my head gently. "You only wasted a small part of your life time."

"Yeah," I said sadly. "Near fifteen years . . ."

"What?" Ahri asked in a surprised voice. She stopped patting me on the head while staring down at me with a shocked look on her face.

"I'm fifteen years old," I said. "So, I guess I'd wasted near fifteen years of my lifetime."

Ahri kept staring at me. "You're a fifteen-year-old boy?" she asked incredulously.

I nodded.

She kept on staring at me. "But you look as if you're twelve years old," she said. "And even your height makes you look like a twelve-year-old."

By the way, Ahri was a head taller than me, which reminded me that I was on the short side ( _which_ was sad).

I bowed my head slightly. "My parents didn't give me food that much when I was young," I explained in a quiet voice.

She paused for a second. "I guess I shouldn't call you 'little one' because of your age," Ahri said. "But . . ."

"But what?"

She gave me a teasing smile. "You're a short human, so I guess you're technically a 'little one'."

I sighed. Ahri was making fun of my height, like the others in the village that I used to live in. And Ahri's teasing smile suddenly triggered many memories of kids my age sneering at me and making fun of me. Those painful memories started to stab at my soul with imaginative knives. Suddenly, my mind began to get out of control slowly, as if something inside my head was struggling to get out. And my emotion of pure hatred and unbearable rage that I'd hid deep inside my soul started to tear a hole in my soul to get out. To get out and destroy and harm everything.

I made my poker face, which was kind of hard, while pressing the dangerous emotion deep inside my soul again while getting back the control of my mind which tried to do what my dark emotion wanted to do.

I slowly gained back control while not looking strange to Ahri. From Ahri's prospective, I was just walking while saying nothing.

"Well, it's better than 'short-jerk-head', 'tiny-loser-face', or 'small-idiot', I guess." I said bitterly.

I have to say that this forest was amazing! I stopped consistently, my mouth opening in awe because of the wonderful sights of new plants, wildlife, and etc. that I'd never seen before in my life.

There were vines that grew around a white tree that grew colorful fruits, mushrooms that were big as my head, and bugs that changes its color really quickly.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Ahri said softly while standing next to me when I was crouching down and looking closely at a flower which was pink and purple.

I nodded while smelling its fragrance. The fragrance of the flower was so good that I can't even describe it.

"Careful, Jeffric," Ahri warned. "If you inhale too much of its fragrance, you'll feel dizzy."

Too late.

My head started spinning and my sight started to blur. I stood up, but I lost my balance and started to fall backwards.

But, somebody's arms grabbed me. I looked sideways and saw that Ahri had grabbed me by the back and the shoulder while laughing softly under her breath.

"It-it isn't funny," I said defensively while blushing furiously. Ahri gently put me down on the ground while trying to stifle her laughter.

"Thanks," I murmured while trying not to puke because of the dizziness. I gazed up to the branches of the trees, where the sunlight was gleaming through. I felt everything was moving up and down or sideways while my sight got blurry and unblurry at the same time.

Then I saw Ahri's face looking down at me while smiling as if she just heard a funny joke.

"If I had a mirror with me right now," she said, "I would've showed you your face right now."

"W-why?" I asked while ignoring my dizziness, which was pretty hard.

"Because you look as if you were knocked down with a hammer!"

"That's funny . . ." I grumbled with a little bit of sarcastic tone inside my voice.

I kept on feeling as if somebody was shaking me sideways and turning my body in a circle at a same time. But I felt that I started to feel less dizzy by the second.

That was when I noticed something at the corner of my eye.

"Ahri, look out!" I yelled.

Ahri quickly stepped sideways, dodging the arrow by an inch.

"Well," Ahri huffed. "That was close."

I quickly stood up while ignoring the dizziness. That was when six men jumped out from the tree branches above and landed on the ground few feet away from us.

"Well, well, well," a burly man said in a mean voice. "A vastayan and a scrawny-looking boy." Then he cracked his knuckles in a scary fashion. "Seize the vastayan," the man sneered while staring directly at Ahri. "And kill the boy."

 **(A/N)**

 **Hi, I'm back. Most of the people in my school forgot that I was writing this fanfic. And thankfully the bullies found other targets to push around. Now, I can continue writing this fanfic again. But sadly, I think this fanfic will get kind of a slow update due to some issues in my life these days that I don't want to talk about.**

 **Thank you for your support and I hope you enjoy this fanfic. See you later.**

 **From: Kray98**

 **P.S. please point out plot holes, grammar problems, vocabulary problems, and other things on this fanfic. I will be really thankful if you do these.**


	10. Chapter 8

Instantly, five men drew their weapons out. I couldn't see their faces because they were wearing these hooded cloaks that covered their facial features (except the burly man who was wearing tattered tunic and pants).

"By the way, lads," the man said while sneering at us, "you can 'hurt' the fox. Just don't kill her."

The five men sprang toward us while the man stood there, his sneer still on his face.

"Hmm . . . Bandits, I see," Ahri said to herself. And she sprang into action herself.

The first bandit tried to stab her with his two short swords, but she dodged them easily by rolling sideways. The second bandit swung his battle axe at Ahri's throat, but she ducked. Then she twirled around, summoning the three blue flames from nowhere.

The two flames hit the first man while one flame hit the second man. They both screamed when white flames started to burn their clothes. Then they started to roll on the ground in desperation, trying to get the fire extinguished.

The third man tried to stab Ahri from the back with his dagger, but Ahri sidestepped, the dagger missing her completely, and she backhanded the man on his face. He yelped while clutching his nose in pain.

Ahri then threw a small ball of magical sphere at the man. He flew backwards when the ball hit him in the stomach. Then he landed on the dirt ground, back first. He was clutching his stomach while groaning in agony.

The fourth and fifth men hesitated, with their javelins still drawn.

Ahri summoned a big magical sphere on her palm. She was about to throw it at the two men, when she glanced back at me. I was, embarrassingly, still sitting on the ground while looking as if I drank alcohol, you know, the stuff that most of the parents in the world drinks. She had a 'OK, maybe not' look on her face, then she made the magical sphere disappear, and she threw the ordinary small magical sphere at the two men.

They were knocked down when the small magical spheres hit one in the head and one in the shoulder.

The burly man was now standing there with his sneer gone. Instead, he had a frightened expression on his face.

"Now," Ahri said while staring at the man in amusement. "Scram!"

The man ran away into the deep depths of the forest, screaming in fear.

"Well, that was fun," Ahri said while stretching her arms into the sky.

I quickly stood up from the ground, my dizziness gone from my body.

"Ahri," I said while staring at her in awe, "I didn't know that you could do that!"

"I could do more, you know," Ahri said while laughing softly.

 _More?_ I thought.

Ahri approached one of the knocked-down bandits. She pulled off his grey hooded cloak—which looked new—from him and draped it around her body, covering her nine tails, and put on the hood, which covered her fox ears. "Now, let's get away from this place, shall we?"

We sprinted away into the beautiful forest, leaving the knocked-down bandits behind.

* * *

Later, we entered the village that me and Ahri had set out for in the first place.

 _So that's why she took the cloak_ , I realized, _she's trying to disguise herself to look human._

By the way, I think I should explain how the houses of Ionia looks like; Ionian houses are not made from chopped woods. They're made by growing the trees into the shape of houses. So that's why the houses look like tree-infested houses. Fun fact; your house might expend overnight.

The village looked much bigger than mine, it had shops, a blacksmith, and other places that my village doesn't have. The houses were set in orderly fashion and the villagers looked cheerful. I've never been to another village before in my life, so to me, it was like visiting another country.

"Wow," I said to Ahri, "I can't believe that we're here!"

* * *

Ahri had thought to herself for a while traveling with Jeffric.

 _He has centuries amounts of life essence inside him . . ._

And, at night, he sucked life essence from dead things (How did she know? Well, even though she was close to Jeffric's sleeping body when it happened the boy didn't suck her life essence out of her body).

When she had indulged in some of the life essence floating around the boy, she was suddenly tempted to devour more life essence. So, she stopped after few seconds of indulging while trying to calm herself down by trying to think what was happening to the boy.

After she'd saw that, she was tempted to indulge Jeffric's life essence, more than before. But she kept resisting the temptation.

 _No_ , she thought, _I promised myself not to indulge so many from a person. And I can't make the same mistake again . . ._

She still remembered her dead lover, long ago, whom she had killed by sucking the life essence out of his body, defeated by her own temptation and hunger. She felt her eyes tearing up, remembering her misery, guilt, and the pain after she'd killed him. She cried over his dead body, feeling as if she was tearing her own soul into pieces with her bare hands.

She promised to herself not to make the same mistake. And she promised to herself that she'll never forgive herself if she makes the mistake again.

"Wow," Jeffric said from beside her, "I can't believe that we're here!"

Ahri looked at the boy from under her hood. He looked so fragile and weak, because of his bony arms, scrawny legs that had more leg muscle than the leg skin (which was a pitiful sight), and the hollow cheeks. And his short height (which made him look younger than fifteen) didn't help either.

But his big light green eyes were shinning like two stars, filled with pain and misery, as well as hope and courage. And his face was filled with wonder.

Ahri smiled down at him, covering her sadness from the boy. "Me neither," she answered.

Then the boy's face was suddenly turned from wonder to sadness. "I-I guess we're separating from here."

Ahri smiled sadly at him. "I guess so."

Then Ahri reached out a hand to shake Jeffric's hand. "It was nice knowing you, little one."

Jeffric hesitated for a moment. Then he grasped her hand. "It was nice knowing you, too, Ahri," he said, "and thank you for everything."

Then, Ahri walked away, while feeling as if something was gone from her soul. She suddenly felt . . . empty for some reason.

 _I'll miss that boy . . ._ she thought.

* * *

I stared at Ahri's back while she walked away into the crowded street with this sad feeling inside me.

 _I should've told her that I was really thankful . . ._ I thought. Then I sighed while looking around the village. _I guess I should try my best to find a job now._

* * *

Inside a cave, a dozen of bandits set around a campfire in silence.

Then one broke the silence.

"So, now what?"

The burley man sighed deeply. "We'll wait and see," he said. "That vastayan was stronger than I'd thought."

"Maybe we could gang up on her," a second bandit suggested.

"You saw what happened when we attacked her," the man suggested while gesturing at the five men who were injured by the vastayan's magical attacks. "We'll do other things while waiting for the right moment to strike."

Then he smiled. "When we get our hands on that vastayan, we'll roll on money for a long time, so have patience, lads."


	11. Chapter 9

At first, I was really hopeful. I've never visited another village before in my life, and I thought that maybe it would be different.

But after hours and hours of trying to get a job, my hope died again.

Nobody wanted a worker like me; a bony, short, and a weak boy who had nothing. I went to the stores, blacksmiths, and etc. But nobody hired me.

I even pleaded them to hire me, but they ignored me.

So, after trying to get a job for hours, I gave up.

I sat on a stone bench at the edge of the village, where I was facing the forest. I sighed while glancing behind at the villagers of this village. They all looked happy and carefree. The adults were walking on the streets while greeting each other while the kids ran around playing. There was no depression or pain on their faces.

They didn't even notice that I was here. Why would they? I mean, I was just a strange nobody, after all. That fact made me feel lonely for all of a sudden.

"I wish I could be one of them," I said under my breath.

Then I sensed someone approaching me. I glanced up and saw who it was. I smiled up at her.

"Hi, Ahri."

Ahri smiled back at me from underneath her hood.

"Hi, little one."

Ahri sat on the stone bench right next to me while looking down at the ground. "How's your attempt of getting a job going?"

"Not good," I said in a small voice.

"Oh."

Ahri was silent for a moment. Then she spoke;

"I guess we both had a bad day today . . ."

I looked at her. "What do you mean by that."

Ahri stared at the horizon of the trees of the forest, where we were facing while sitting on the stone bench, and the sun which was setting amongst the top branches of the trees. "Well, Jeffric," Ahri said, sadness in her voice. "I guess I should tell you why I came to this village in the first place to explain that."

She stared into the oblivion for a second.

"When I was really young, I lived on the northern part of Ionia, with the icefoxes. I didn't have, and still don't have, the memories of my parents. But I had these from them," Ahri pulled out the pair of matching gemstones and showed it to me.

Guilt started to fill me because they were the objects that I tried to steal from Ahri when I first saw her.

"I'm sorry," I whispered while lowering my head in shame. If only I'd known that those gemstones were really precious to her when I tired stealing them from her . . .

"It's OK, dear," Ahri said kindly while patting me on my head, which made me flinch. I stared at her in disbelief because nobody in my life patted me on the head before.

She didn't notice my surprise and continued her story;

"I wanted to know who they were or who left me these gemstones. So, after doing many things that now I feel guilty of, I started to search for my origin." Her voice started to tremble while telling me these things. "At last, I finally found out who made these gemstones. A treacherous fortune teller told me that these gemstones were made by a legendary sculptor known as Ymelo. And, I—" she hesitated for a moment. The she continued; "—I saw a man who may possibly lead me to answers. But—"

Then Ahri suddenly broke into tears while sobbing loudly and trembling violently. She covered her face with both of her hands, covering the tears which poured out of her golden eyes like river. I stared at her nervously while trying desperately to think what to do.

 _Should I comfort her? Or should I give her a private space?_

"Umm . . . Are you alright . . . ?" I nervously asked while punching myself mentally for saying something stupid like that. Of course, she wasn't _alright_!

"I—I'm fine," Ahri said between sobs. "It—it's just—it's just that this world isn't f-f-fair!"

"Uhhh . . . what do you mean?"

Ahri wiped away her tears while trying to hold back her sobs. "For years I traveled around Ionia, trying to find things that c-could lead me to my origin. B-but every path I took, th-they all lead to dead ends!" She sniffled miserably while covering her face with both of her hands again. "But today, I thought I finally f-found a trace of my history. B-but it turned out to be nothing! N-nothing at all! N-now, I f-feel like as if d-destiny itself is mocking me . . ."

Ahri suddenly clenched her two hands into fists in anger while glaring down at them with anger in her eyes. "I'm sick of finding myself in dead ends after dead ends of the mystery of my own being," she said in a trembling voice, "and, I'm sick of trying to find my lost past."

Drops of Ahri's tears started to fall onto her clenched fists. Then Ahri turned her head toward me as if she made up her mind on something. Her golden eyes were bloodshot, and her cheeks were covered with trickling tears.

"Jeffric," Ahri said in a trembling voice, "I have a favor to ask you."

"Wh-what is it?"

Ahri gently took both of my hands with her trembling fingers and hold them in her hands which were wet with her tears.

"Jeffric, please stay with me," Ahri said in a pleading voice. "Y-you're the second human in m-my life who talked to me as if I'm a human, a-and I want a person to be close to me from now on." Ahri stared pleadingly into my eyes. "I-I think I can't cope with this pain on my own." Then she started to sniffle.

"Please, stay with me," she whispered while new tears started to trickle out of her eyes, "I'm begging you."

I considered this for a second. I escaped my village to find a new life. Then I ran into Ahri by trying to steal her twin gemstones. But Ahri had forgiven me and treated me kindly. Nobody ever treated me kindly in my life before like Ahri did. I owe her a lot, and now, she needs a person to be next to her. A person who could support and comfort her.

So, I made up my mind.

"Of course, I'll stay with you, Ahri," I answered while smiling at her warmly while wiping her tears from her right cheek with my left hand, "you can stop crying now."

 **(A/N)**

 **This fanfic follows the lore of Ahri, by the way. I'm trying my best to follow her lore, so it might be helpful if you read her bio and etc. One of the reasons why I started to write this is because her bio feels . . .Unfinished. So, I decided to write a fanfic about her.**


	12. Chapter 10

In a dark place, a boy was walking to nowhere to nowhere. The sky was dark as the deep depths of space, and the landscape was the color of burnt ashes. Any people would think the sky and earth was the same thing when they look at this place. But one thing was certain; this place, this world was full of hopelessness and loneliness.

The boy was walking through the dark landscape while mumbling, and sometimes laughing silently, to himself. He looked like Jeffric, with his smooth and long brown hair that reached the back of his neck, short and bony body, and his hallow cheeks.

But his eyes were different.

Instead of green, the boy's eyes were red. And it was filled with anger, hatred, and insanity.

"You're a stupid guy, Jeffric," he mumbled to himself. Then he laughed bitterly. "Why? Just why won't you release me on them? Why, Jeffric? I know that you want to release hell on those miserable bastards."

He walked through the dark land for days, weeks, or even months. He'd been walking in this place for years now, and he got stronger and stronger when days passed on.

Then, he suddenly noticed something strange. Faraway from the place where he was standing, a faint blue light was gleaming in the horizon, like a sunrise.

"What in the name of misery is that?" The boy asked himself.

That was when he started to walk toward the horizon faster than before. Step after step, the light started to become brighter and brighter. And sometimes, a beam of blue light streaked from the dark skies above and onto the horizon, as if it was a string.

The boy started to come closer to the source of the strange blue light. Then after some days or weeks, the boy was finally standing in front of the source.

It was a gigantic blue orb. It was emitting magic and something . . . unusual.

The boy cautiously walked up to it until he was only standing just a step away from it.

It was shimmering and glowing with warmth. And its surface was swirling around, making the boy go dizzy. The boy shook his head, getting rid of the dizziness, and just stared at the strange object, this time, not trying to focus at one place. Its presence stood out in this dark and empty place, like a white marble in the sea of grey marbles.

The boy reached his hand toward the magical orb and touched the surface.

Suddenly screams and wails exploded out of the orb, as if billions of damned souls were burning in the inferno of hell.

The boy just stood there while still touching the orb with his hand. The expression of his face didn't change at all, as if he wasn't affected by the screams and wails.

After some minutes, the loud noise stopped, and silence returned to the dark landscape.

The boy tilted his head at the magical orb, his mouth spreading into a wide grin like a gleeful demon that found a human to prey upon.

"Well, well, well," the boy chuckled in a spine-chilling way. Then he broke into a loud laughter filled with insanity. "Finally! A way to escape this damned place!"

Then he looked up toward the dark skies. "Hey, Jeffric!" He yelled. "You've stopped me multiple times from getting out. But, soon, you will not stop me!" Then he thrust his fist into the air. "Soon, I'll be freed!" After that, he started to roar with laughter, which would drive listeners into madness.

* * *

A month had passed since I'd decided to stay with Ahri. We decided to stay in a cave that we had found near the village (which was about 30 minutes of walking distance). It was located at a bottom of a mountainside which was mostly consisted of rocks.

We spent few days on decorating the cave (which was kind of big for several people to live in) to be inhabitable; cleaning the place and making the place more comfortable by spreading countless plucked leaves on the floor (they'd turned dry after some days), except the entrance section where the campfire was placed (we didn't want to start fire, so the leaves were spread many steps away from it. We also made a table out of a log and two beds out of tree branches and covered it with these leaves that didn't dry even though they were plucked out of the branches.

Thankfully, the cave was high, so we didn't have to worry about hitting our heads on the rocky ceiling.

We finished eating dinner just half an hour ago and through the cave entrance I could see the sky turning into black. I was playing with a curious flower which I found in the magical forest while Ahri was sitting in the entrance of the cave, staring up at the darkening sky.

The flower that I'd found was kind of unique. The petals were arranged into a shape of a trumpet and the petals were purple. The fragrance of the flower was nice, but the most interesting thing about this flower was that when I shook it, these small glitters fell out of the stamen of the flower. I'm not talking about flower powder, I'm talking about really small and shiny crystal-like things that tasted like sugar and spices (yeah, I tasted them).

I shook the flower, making the unusual tiny crystals to fell onto my palm and threw them into the air. They fell on me like snow, and I tried to catch them by sticking my tongue out.

"Jeffric," Ahri called out to me from the cave entrance. "Can you join me right now?"

"Uhh . . . Maybe later," I answered, "my legs are aching." It was true. I'd ventured out into the forest and returned before dinner.

My back was on the entrance and I was only focusing on fooling around that I hadn't noticed rustling noises of Ahri's feet stepping on the dry leaves. Before I knew it, Ahri had hoisted me up from the ground by clasping her arms around my chest.

I made a surprised squeaking noise when she started to bring me toward the entrance.

"Oh, come on, Jeffric," she said playfully while I struggled. "Just once."

She placed me on the rocky entrance, near the campfire which was making some cracking sounds.

Ahri sat down next to me while staring up at the night sky which was now filled with glinting stars. Her nine tails settled on the ground behind her carefully while swishing slowly from here and there.

"Jeffric, I want to ask you something," Ahri asked. Then she pointed her finger at the stars in the night sky. "What comes to your mind when you see the stars?"

I stared up at the stars while thinking deeply. I always looked up at the sky at night, before I went to sleep, to look at the beautiful stars. They were just comforting and gave me warmth when I looked at them, but I still don't know the reason.

"I . . . don't know," I answered. Then I glanced at her. "How about you?"

Ahri smiled while turning her head and looking down at me.

"Many things come to my mind," Ahri said, "like birds flying across the skies, or pearls floating in the calm depths of water."

Then she turned her head and stared up at the night sky again, smiling blissfully. "But sometimes, Jeffric," Ahri said, "I just imagine myself flying across the night sky, free from all of my worries and my sins while flying amongst those beautiful stars."

Was it just me, or did I saw sadness on her smiling face?

"That's nice," I answered while smiling uncertainly. "I wish I could've thought of that."

Silence settled over us while we observed the stars.

After some minutes passed, Ahri spoke again.

"Do you know that there're several tales about how the stars were created?"

I shook my head.

"Some says that the remains of a war between existence and nothingness became the stars," Ahri said, "some others think that a dragon entirely made of galaxies created them. But some says that the tears of two angels made the stars."

"And," Ahri continued, "there's a song about that story." Then she looked at me questioningly. "Do you want to listen?"

"Yes, please," I said before stretching my arms into the air.

She cleared her throat then started to sing.

Her beautiful voice flowed over me like the warmth of the sunshine and it made me sleepy and made my heart feel fuzzy.

The song was about an angel girl and an angel boy who were living in a kingdom which stood on the tallest mountain of Runeterra. The girl was a daughter of a noble while the boy was a servant. The girl was always lonely, and she'd no friend. The boy was lonely, too, and he was always treated badly by the girl's father. One day, the girl started to pity the boy, and later they became friends. Then, they became lovers. But when the girl's father learned about this, he punished his daughter and brutally beat the boy. They were separated for weeks. But, one day, in the middle of the night, both of the angels escaped their kingdom and flew into the night sky. When they realized that they'd escaped and that they could finally love each other again, they embraced happily while crying with joy. Their angelic tears floated through the night sky and they became the stars.

While she was singing this song, I became so sleepy that I'd lay down sideways on the ground, but without knowing, I'd rested myself on the soft nine tails of Ahri.

Ahri stroked my head with her delicate hand while singing.

I struggled not to drift into sleep until Ahri finished her song. When she finished her song, I instantly drifted into sleep.

* * *

Ahri looked down at the boy. He looked so peaceful when he was sleeping. She moved and arranged her nine tails to make the boy's sleeping body to be more comfortable.

Ahri liked this boy, with his kind heart and his empathy for her. She caressed the boy's cheek gently.

"Goodnight, little one," she said softly. Then, she slowly lay down on the rocky ground while trying not to disturb the boy. Then she, too, drifted into sleep.


	13. Chapter 11

These days, my dreams were kind of strange. Yes, I still dreamed thousands of memories passing by me, but these days, they were becoming clearer. And, the memories started to become darker and darker. The memories of happy families and happy occasions were gone, replaced with scenes of arguments, fights, and people screaming at each other.

When I woke up, my head felt as if it was filled with something muddy. So, I tried to touch my head, but I noticed that I couldn't move my arms. That was when I noticed that I was tangled in these soft and furry . . . tails?

Then, I realized that I was tangled in Ahri's nine tails!

I tried to get up, but the tails were tangled around my body like knots or something. I struggled while trying not to wake up Ahri. But it was no use.

"A-Ahri?" I said tentatively.

Ahri was lying next to me, her back to me while facing the outside of the cave (which was still kind of dark). When I called her name, she stirred slightly. Then she yawned and turned her head toward me, looking at my condition. At first, she had a confused expression on her face. Then, the expression turned into an expression that indicated that the person was trying hard not to laugh.

"Jeffric," Ahri giggled playfully, "what're you doing?"

"N-nothing!" I answered while blushing. "T-this was an accident!"

Ahri gave into laughter while moving her nine tails to untangle me. After a minute, I was freed. I stood up while trying not to look embarrassed.

"S-sorry," I said while looking down at the rocky floor of the cave.

"It's OK, little one," Ahri answered while patting my head reassuringly, "you don't have to apologize."

I glanced up at her and saw that she was giggling with amusement while covering her mouth with her left hand.

"Now," she said after she stopped giggling, "let's eat breakfast, shall we?"

* * *

It was early afternoon. I was walking through the crowded street of the village that was near the cave (you know, the village which was in the 30 minutes of walk). I was just looking around because of no reason. By the way,I felt kind of good to be around so many people who didn't minded that I was here.

I know what you might be wondering; "Being ignored makes you feel good?"

Well, let me tell you that it's much better than being teased or jeered or attacked at. No eyes filled with provoke staring at me, no fingers pointing at me, no voices yelling at me, no fists punching my body. It just felt . . . blissful, as if I'd become a part of a calm lake.

I walked around a bend and found myself in a crowded street filled with people buying or selling things that I'd never seen before.

Merchants, shopkeepers, and traders were showing off the things that they were selling while villagers were swarming around, trying to buy or just looking in curiosity.

And I'd to say that the things that they were selling were marvelous. There were colorful stones that looked almost like gems, tasty-looking fruits, necklaces that were in various shapes and sizes, tasty looking fruits that I'd never seen before, magical-looking plant, and other wonderful things.

"Wow," I marveled at the objects while walking past the stalls or the shops.

Since I started to stay with Ahri in the cave, I sometimes visited this place to look at the new goods or new objects.

The village that I used to live in was a closed village, no people coming in or going out. They just cut themselves from the outer world for reasons unknown. So, I'd never known that these kinds of objects even existed in the first place!

So, this street was a paradise for me (while the cave was heaven).

I walked up to a stall that sold paintings. I'd already visited this stall many times before, observing the paintings and watching the owner of the store making new paintings.

The place had a simple angled wooden roof that was supported by four wooden poles. At the front, there was a long table that the paintings were placed, letting the passersby look at the artworks. At the back, there was a wooden wall, where few more paintings were hung in display. And, there was a worktable and a chair where the owner drew her paintings.

The owner was a woman who looked to be in her late 30s or early 40s. She had a kind and a peaceful face, with only few wrinkles, but she had few strands of grey hair amongst the black hair.

Most of the time, she painted in her worktable, drawing trees, animals, and flowers. Her paintings looked alive, as if it's actually real. Whenever I visited this stall, I always studied her hand (that was holding a thin brush) as hard as I could. Whenever she drew, I tried to memorize her drawing technics, while imagining myself drawing the painting myself.

Today was no different. I studied her from in front of the stall, observing the woman creating life by drawing with her brush gently on a big parchment.

I was in the middle of observing, when she glanced right at me.

"You . . . Like . . . My . . . Work?"

I was startled at first. Then I nodded quickly.

"Y-yes, ma'am," I answered.

She'd never noticed me before (for almost a month), until now. She was always concentrated in her works.

"You . . . Can . . . Come . . . Over . . . And . . . Watch," she said.

I noticed that she spoke kind of in a weird way, but I didn't mind.

I walked around the long table and walked up to the worktable. The owner went back to drawing on the parchment. She was drawing a mountainside. The mountainside had a waterfall and a lot of trees. She was carefully drawing it with her brush. She'd already finished drawing the basic drawings (the outlines and the detailed lines) and now she was putting the color in.

Her hand flew gently on the parchment, and the painting started to become lifelike.

An hour later, she finished the painting, and she put her brush into a wooden cup (after cleaning it) where there were other brushes. Then, she looked at me and smiled.

"Do . . . You . . . Want . . . To . . . Try?" She asked.

I stared at her with bewilderment. Then I pointed at myself and mouthed; "Me?"

She nodded happily.

"S-sure," I said.

She stepped off the chair and gestured at me to sit. I sat on the chair and looked at the brushes in the wooden cup. There were thick brushes, medium-sized brushes, and thin brushes. I picked one of the thin brushes.

While I was picking, the woman pinned the painting of the mountainside on the wooden wall and put another parchment on the large angled board which was on the worktable.

I glanced down at the small bottles which were placed in front of the angled board. There were substances of all sorts of colors inside the bottles. There was a bottle which was full of water next to the bottles full of colors, so I put the tip of the brush inside it.

I saw the owner drawing paintings for almost a month, so I knew how to draw.

Well, I think.

After I shook some of the moisture off the brush, I put the tip of the brush inside the bottle of dark substance and thought about what I should draw. Then I remembered the flower that I'd found yesterday.

 _How about flowers?_ I thought.

But what flowers? There were so many flowers that I'd found in the forest.

Then Ahri suddenly appeared in my mind.

 _Maybe I should draw Ahri_ , I thought.

Then an idea formed inside my mind.

 _Ahri and flower . . ._

I started to draw on the parchment. First, I started to draw a flower that had many sharp petals. The petals that were near the middle were little, while the nine petals at the outer side were long and big. Then, I started to draw the stamens and the carpel in the middle of the flower.

After I'd finished drawing the outlines (sketches) I dipped the brush into the water-filled bottle, getting the dark paint out of it, and shook most of the moisture out and put the brush's tip into a bottle full of red substance.

I started to put colors into the flower that I'd drawn only with dark lines. I first drew the petals that were near the middle with red (with few white and gold here and there). Then, I'd drawn the nine long and big petals, which were at the outer side, with white and grey. After that, I'd drawn the stamens of the flower with black while drawing the carpel with gold. Finally, I colored the long stem with light green.

When I finished the painting, I observed it with a sense of pride in my heart.

I created a flower that had the motif of Ahri. The nine long petals were Ahri's nine tails, the short red, gold, and white petals were Ahri's clothes, the dark stamens were Ahri's hair, and the golden carpel was Ahri's eyes.

The woman was staring at the painting, too. She had a surprised smile on her face. Then, she started to clap.

"It . . . Very . . . Beautiful . . ." She said. "Well . . . Done . . ."

"Jeffric," I said, "my name is Jeffric."

"Well . . . Done . . . Jeffric," she said while smiling down at me. "You . . . Have . . . A . . . Talent . . ."

"Thank you, ma'am."

The woman opened a lid of a storage cabinet which was placed next to the worktable. She pulled out a sack and some parchments.

"Here . . ." She said and put them in my arms.

"Wha—? Are you giving these things to me?" I asked in a surprised voice.

The woman nodded.

"B-but I don't have money," I protested.

"It . . . Fine . . ."

I blinked several times while staring at her. Then I bowed at her with gratitude. "T-thank you, m-ma'am!"

She smiled kindly at me. "Don't . . . Mention . . . It . . ."

* * *

I walked into the cave and saw that Ahri was dozing on her handmade bed.

Ahri sometimes preferred sleeping in late afternoons. She'd curled into a ball while her arms were hugging her folded legs, facing the cave wall. Her eyes were closed while her mouth was slightly opened. Her breathing was slow and silent, her chest rising and falling by the rhythm.

I gently placed the painting that I'd drawn in front of her face, where she could see when she wakes up.

It was late afternoon, and it was still sunny outside. So, I opened the sack that the woman had given me. As I'd expected, it was full of bottles full of colored substances and some brushes.

My bed was only few steps away from Ahri's. So, even though it was sunny outside, I lay on my bed (after placing the sack and the parchments on the ground next to my bed) while glancing sideways at her.

Her back was turned to me (because she was facing the cave wall), so I stared up at the ceiling while thinking of what to draw with the new paints and parchments.

 _Something that Ahri might like . . ._


	14. Chapter 12

Ahri woke up from her bad dream.

It was a dream about . . . something awful.

Then, she remembered.

She dreamed about her lover . . . that she'd killed with her own hands. And, she'd dreamed about them doing things that she couldn't remember . . .

Was it him drawing something for her? Or was it him swimming in someplace? Or was it—

Then, she suddenly realized that there was a parchment right in front of her face.

She groaned in bewilderment while sitting up slightly from her handmade bed. Then she gently lifted the parchment close to her face and looked at it.

It was a painting of an odd, but beautiful-looking, flower. The flower consisted of nine long white petals, short red, gold, and white petals, dark stamens, and a golden carpel. And, for some reason, it was somehow . . . familiar.

Then, she looked toward the entrance of the cave and saw that it was already nighttime. And, Jeffric was sitting in front of the campfire, his back facing her. And he was . . . doing something.

She placed her feet on the rocky ground of the cave and pushed herself upwards to stand up. Then, she started to approach Jeffric.

"Jeffric, what're you doing?" She asked while putting her hands gently on his shoulders. Then, she looked down at what he was doing and froze.

He was surrounded by small bottles full of colored substances and he was drawing something on a parchment with a brush.

He was drawing . . . her.

Jeffric was drawing her! In the painting, she was smiling while she was surrounded with red flowers. She looked beautiful and lifelike in the painting, and she was staring at the lookers while smiling kindly at them like an angel.

The painting itself was beautiful. She marveled at the excellency and the sophisticated details of the beautiful painting of her that Jeffric had drawn.

It was so beautiful that her eyes almost cried out tears.

But one thing bothered and hold back her tears while starting to feel her heart with dread.

Her arms started to shake slightly.

Jeffric was drawing a painting . . . like her dead lover.

Her lover that didn't minded her monster-like abilities. Her lover that loved her with all his heart. Her lover that she'd killed.

Then, suddenly, the painting started to change. The painting lost colors, and her expression changed from kindness to coldness. The red flowers that surrounded her in the painting turned into blood, and they started to dribble down the parchment.

 _No . . ._

She looked around the cave, and to her horror, she saw dozens of the same paintings attached to the walls, blood dripping downwards, covering the walls with red, while tens of herself were staring coldly at her accusingly.

When she looked down, she saw the boy looking up at her, and she mentally screamed in horror.

The boy's face . . . It was drained of life! His skin was white as marble and was decomposing. His big light green eyes were staring up at her, lifeless and empty with nothing behind them., except oblivion.

Then, she saw that her hands that were touching the boy's shoulders were now covered with . . . blood.

 _No . . . this isn't happening . . . This can't be happening!_

She blinked several times desperately, not believing that these were true.

Then, she saw Jeffric's face still looking up at her, but his skin had come back to normal, his eyes filled with life, and he was smiling joyfully up at her. And the painting had come back to normal. The beautiful painting of herself had come back to normal. And the walls were not covered with the blood-dribbling paintings.

She'd hallucinated again . . . The perfume of the snow lily in the garden was still affecting her, even though it was a long time ago.

"Ahri," Jeffric said while smiling at her, "What do you think?"

Jeffric looked prideful and nervous at the same time while smiling.

Thankfully, she'd already hid her fear and was smiling delicately down at him, trying not to show him her fear about the hallucination that she'd just witnessed.

"It's wonderful, _Iminha_ ," Ahri said with all her heart. Then, she lowered her body and kissed the boy's forehead softly while whispering into his ears; "Thank you."

* * *

I was stunned.

 _She called me Iminha . . ._ I thought in shock. She used the word (which means 'little one') that is often used in familial relationship. And she kissed me on the forehead!

My face started to grow hot while staring up at her with a surprised expression on my face.

"Umm . . . Uh . . ." I stuttered, trying to say something while I was blushing furiously.

Ahri giggled while covering her mouth with her left hand.

"You're so talented, Jeffic," Ahri said while caressing my cheek with her delicate hand. "It really looks like me."

"T-thank you," I said timidly while trembling with nervousness.

"I think I'm going to place this painting and the other one on the table," Ahri said.

I handed her the painting, and she walked toward the table, her feet making sounds amongst the dried leaves strewn on the cave ground. She placed the painting of her and the painting of the flower on the table while smiling warmly.

"Oh, by the way," Ahri said while glancing back at me, "aren't you hungry?"

"No, I'm not hungry," I said while looking down at my stomach. "I have a small stomach."

"You should eat more if you want to grow taller," Ahri said teasingly.

"Yeah, I guess," I said while laughing. Then I yawned. "Ahri, I think I'm going to sleep now." Then I stretched. "I'm so tired right now."

* * *

I lay on the bed while burying myself into the leaves which worked like blankets. I reimagined the scene when Ahri saw my painting of her. She looked so delighted when she saw it, she called me _Iminha_ (nobody in my family called me that . . . not even once!), and . . . she kissed me on the forehead!

I touched my forehead where Ahri had kissed. Then I smiled joyfully.

 _So, this is what getting kissed feels like . . ._ I thought while a single tear dribbled down my cheek. I'd always imagined and wanted my mom to kiss me on the forehead to wish me goodnight when she tucked me into bed. But it never happened.

She'd never tucked me into bed in my life and she definitely never kissed me on my forehead like normal moms.

But Ahri kissed me on the forehead before I lay on my bed, so she technically kissed me goodnight. One of my dreams finally came true and it felt good.

Another tear dribbled down my cheek.

 _I should feel happy right now_ , I though, _but why do I feel so . . . sad?_


	15. Special EP:1

_**(this takes place in an alternative universe where the world of League of Legends and reality is morphed into one)**_

I woke up when the sunlight suddenly struck my face.

"Huh?" I asked in a confused voice while trying to block my eyes with both of my hands and arms. "What's going on . . . ?"

"Wake up, little one," I heard a voice talking to me.

It was Ahri.

"No . . . I don't want to wake up," I half whined, and half moaned while covering my entire body with my blanket (including my face).

I was starting to doze off when my blanket was suddenly pulled out of my grasp.

"Wha—?"

Then, I felt Ahri pinching my cheek.

"Wake up," Ahri drawled kind of seductively while pinching my other cheek.

"Oww . . ." I groaned while trying to push her hands away. My eyes were shut tight, and my body didn't want to wake up.

Suddenly, Ahri started to tickle me with both of her hands.

"No! Hey! Hahaha! _Eeek!_ S-stop! Stop tickling me— _Ah!_ "

I waved my arms and legs around while Ahri kept on tickling me. She knew that my mortal weakness was tickling.

"A-Ahri," I begged while laughing at the same time, "please, s-stop tickling!"

"It's too late for mercy," she said slyly and kept on tickling.

I jolted here and there, and I fell down from my bed and onto the ground.

"Ouch!" I yelped and opened my eyes.

Ahri was laughing with humor while clutching her stomach with both of her hands.

"S-s-sorry," she said while laughing.

Ahri was wearing a pair of short jeans and a sleeveless shirt. Her nine fox tails were swaying behind her and her fox ears were moving slightly sideways, as if they were indicating that she was being playful or something.

She helped me get up while still laughing.

"Please, cut it out," I complained while blushing with embarrassment, my gaze staring down at the floor.

She pinched both of my cheeks with both of her hands. "Sorry, Jeffric," Ahri said, "But I just can't help it."

"Ow!" I yelped when my cheeks started to hurt.

She let go and led me into the big dining room (because I was still groggy). The smell of bacons wafted through the air and from Ahri's smartphone, which was on the dining table, was playing Christmas songs. Next to her smart phone, there were two plates filled with bacons.

"Yes!" I whooped, "bacons!"

I leapt onto the chair placed in front of the dining table, grabbed a fork placed next to the plate, and thanked Ahri for the bacons

"I really love your bacons, Ahri," I complimented while stuffing my mouth with bacons. "They're really tasty!"

"Well, thanks, Jeffric," Ahri said while smiling proudly at me while sitting down at the opposite side of the dining table. "I really like it when you compliment about my food."

We started eating while chatting about things on the internet, TV, and the fact that tomorrow was Christmas.

There was a thin and big TV screen attached onto the wall just next to the dining table, and it was on, showing the morning news.

". . . And, at yesterday afternoon, the criminal known as 'Jinx' has terrorized Seoul by exploding some facilities with her rocket launcher. Thankfully, there were no casualties nor injured civilians, but the police forces announced to the citizens to be on the lookout for the dangerous criminal," the female newscaster said, and next to her, a picture of a woman with wild purple eyes and blue pig tails who was smiling like a maniac, appeared. The newscaster talked about the damage that she'd caused, financial things, and then the screen showed an interview with an officer who was on this criminal's track.

". . . we're working hard to arrest her," the police woman was saying (the nameplate inscribed 'Officer Vi' was attached to her police uniform), "and the supreme prosecution office, as well as the other officers, are confident that we'll catch her in a short time."

Then, there were some news about murders, car crashes, and government corruptions.

Ahri made a disgusted face at the TV.

"Well, reality kinda sucks, doesn't it," Ahri said grimly.

I nodded. "Yeah," I agreed.

Then, the newscaster informed that the famous electronic company was going to release a new smartphone that had new technology enabled and such. And, the news showed the CEO of the company talking in a conference.

When I saw his face, I instantly froze.

Ahri looked at me with a worried expression on her face.

We acted like that because the CEO of the electronic company on the TV was my dad. Yes, you heard me. He's my dad.

I'll explain how I met Ahri, the famous K-pop star, and how I started to live in Ahri's apartment.

* * *

Well, my parents were in the high class society of South Korea. My mom was a rich lawyer, and my dad was the CEO of the famous electronic company. And, I'd a brother who was three years younger than me.

It seemed as if they only loved my younger brother and not me for whatever reason.

While they fed my brother with good food, they fed me just scraps. I'd never eaten meat, cake, and other rich foods before in my life. While they bought everything that my brother wanted, they ignored me. I never got even one thing that I'd wanted. While they let my brother go to schools for the rich, they just shoved me into just normal schools, and they made sure that nobody learned that they were my parents.

And do you know what's worst? Even though I started to get bullied, they ignored me even though I told them about it. And when I called the police and told them about the bullies, my parents assaulted me (when they learned what I'd done) with kicks and punches and yelled at me to tell the police that I was just joking.

Do you know _why_ they acted like that? Because my parents didn't want to get involved into this mess due to the fear of people learning that my parents were them. They didn't want people to learn that they'd another son (they hid me from the public while showing off my brother) and the fact that they treated me badly (they might get sued).

I always wanted to yell at them. I always wanted to shout; "Why did you gave birth to me? You could've just killed me if you were planning to treat me like this!"

That wasn't all.

They started to send me to all sorts of academies. Math academy, English academy, literature academy, and etc. South Korea's known for its hellish education system, and I was one of the many victims of it. My dream was to become a writer. But they ignored it and sent me to academies, eliminating my time for writing because of homework and the long periods of time that I'd to spend in the academies.

And they always reminded me that I wasn't worth living. They always reminded me by yelling at my face, whispering behind my back, always pointing out my mistakes, and . . . you get the idea.

But I got sick of living in this hellish life, and I'd decided to run away. Run away from my parents' big house and into the city of Seoul.

I had nothing with me, and I feared that they might try to find me.

But I learned something when a month passed. They don't give a crap about me. I should've known that they won't find me because they don't care about me in the first place. I felt really stupid after I realized that.

How did I survive on the streets of Seoul? Well, I was lucky. I found a credit card on the ground of a big mall. So, I used the credit card little by little to buy food.

If I'd never found that credit card, I could've died with starvation.

You might be wondering; "Why didn't you take your money with you when you ran?"

Well, I'd never got an allowance in my life.

Then why didn't I take my parent's money? Because I feared them. I feared that they might hurt me if I steal their stuff. I feared that they might choke me with their hands if they find out. I feared my parents so much that I didn't have the guts to steal from them.

I know, it sounds stupid. But, if your parents abused you for almost nineteen years, showing you that they were far more superior and much stronger, you'll feel like me.

But one day, while I was eating a burger at a burger store, a woman entered the store. It was almost closing time, so I was the only customer in the store. I preferred eating in an empty place because I always had to endure my family's insults. When I sat and ate while listening to my parents comment about my pathetic being, I wished that I could eat in a place where there was no one.

The woman who entered was Ahri. She was wearing a hoodie (that covered her face) and a cap. When she saw that I was the only customer in there, she walked straight toward me.

I knew who Ahri was. She was a famous girly K-pop star when she was a teenager. Now, she made a comeback as a lead singer of a new girl group K/DA. But due to her hoodie and her cap, I didn't recognize her.

I stared at her in confusion when she was standing next to my table, with one hand pressed onto its surface while the other was on her hip accusingly.

"Having a good time?" She asked cheerfully.

"Umm . . . What do you mean?" I asked tentatively.

"Well, you might know what I mean if you look at . . . this!"

She pulled out her smartphone from her pocket and showed its screen to me.

I saw it and gasped. It was showing some sort of a bank account or something, and there were some boxes specifically indicating where the money was used.

And all of them were showing that the money was used in the stores or cafes that I'd went to eat for a month.

And, at the bottom of the screen, there was a box that indicated that a burger was bought today at 9:30 PM.

I glanced at the wall where a clock was attached. It indicated that it was 9:35.

That was when I knew that I was in trouble.

I gulped and looked at Ahri with fear.

"You can check the transaction online," Ahri explained while smiling dangerously down at me. "Give back my credit card, please."

I don't know why, but at that moment, I pushed her backwards. When she stumbled into the table which was next to mine, I ran for it

I knew that I should've gave it to her right then and there, but something inside me made me run.

After running through back streets after back streets, I was caught by her and I forgot what happened next. I remembered I was caught by her, but I don't remember the details.

I guess I was knocked out by her?

But, when I woke up, I saw myself lying on a sofa of an apartment that I'd never been to. Later, I learned that the woman was Ahri, the lead singer of K/DA, and she was the owner of the credit card. She hadn't handed me over to the police because she was confused why I'd only used it for food for a month.

"If normal people find credit cards, they use them to buy expensive things." She said.

So, I explained all my life, how my parents hated me and treated me badly, how I ran from them, how I found her credit card, and the rest of the complicated matters (like them not wanting to be known that they were my parents) while trying not to cry.

When I finished, she had this look of sympathy on her face when looking at me.

That was when she'd said something that made me cry.

"You can stay here, if you want," she said softly.

Those words hit me like a baseball.

"R-really?" I stammered while looking at her with a surprised expression on my face.

When she nodded, tears started falling down my cheeks, and before I knew it, I was hugging while weeping with joy.

I think she was stunned for a moment. Then she hugged back while reassuring me softly.

* * *

That was how I'd ended up in this place some months ago. Ahri was really nice, making me food and, when she was doing concerts or other things, she left me food to eat.

Now, the girl group K/DA was on a break for some months before performing and releasing songs again, so I'd more time with Ahri now.

"So," Ahri said while turning off the TV with her remote control. "What're you planning to do tomorrow?"

"Umm . . . I don't know . . ." I said while glancing down while looking embarrassed and sad at the same time. "Because . . . I never spent the Christmas time with others, so I don't know what to do . . ."

She was silent for a moment. Then, she smiled reassuringly at me while grasping my hand with hers.

"Well, don't worry, Jeffric," Ahri said in an excited voice, "because I planned something fun for tomorrow."


	16. Special EP:2

I was walking through the streets of Seoul which was filled with stores, cafes, restaurants, PC bangs (PC rooms), and etc.

It was late afternoon, and the street was filled with many people. Some were ordinary people just walking to somewhere, and many were students wearing school uniforms with their heavy backpacks slung over their shoulders and heading toward various academies.

I was heading toward a small art academy where it was located at the second floor of a small building.

I entered the building, hitched a ride on the elevator and went up to the second floor. Then, I walked through the hallway until I was in front of the small art academy.

I opened the door and entered.

The small art academy had two small rooms, one was the place where the students drew, and the other was the office of the teacher.

When I entered, the teacher was waiting for me. There were only few students who attended this academy (but it could still support itself) so there were no one in the academy except me right now (others had already left).

The teacher looked to be in her late 30s or early 40s. She had a kind and a peaceful face, with only few wrinkles, but she had few strands of grey hair amongst the black hair.

She greeted me when I entered, and I sat on one of the few chairs and I put down my backpack on the ground.

I pulled out my sketchbook while the teacher was setting up the easel in front of me. After I put the sketchbook on the easel, I pulled out my palette, a bottle which was already filled with water, and a pencil case.

"What . . . do . . . you . . . want . . . to . . . draw . . . today?" My teacher asked.

I thought for a moment.

I always loved drawing flowers because of their beauty, but today, I wanted to draw something else.

Something that matched the Christmas theme . . .

 _What's an iconic object of Christmas?_ I thought.

 _Santa Clause_ , my mind answered.

 _Santa isn't an object_ , I answered. _Something that relates to decorations . . ._

Then and idea popped into my brain.

 _How about a Christmas tree?_

"I think I'm going to draw a Christmas tree," I answered my teacher.

I knew how a Christmas tree looked like, so I didn't have to see the object itself to draw it.

I opened my pencil case and pulled out a 4B pencil and started to draw the outline of a Christmas tree with thin lines.

Yes, I could draw flowers with ease, without drawing an outline, but this was a different story. One time, I tried to draw a tree without drawing an outline, but I failed miserably (the end product looked like a monster).

I started by drawing the bone structure of the tree. Most of the people just started drawing the outline, but I was different. I wanted everything to be perfect when I drew, even trees.

My teacher stood next to me while I was drawing the outline of the Christmas tree. She pointed out mistakes or tips, which I listened and followed.

When I finished drawing the outline, I picked up the brush, plucked the tip into the water bottle for just a second, and shook it to get some moisture off the brush.

Then, I put the brush into a green paint on the palette, made sure that the green paint was smeared onto it, and started to draw the Christmas tree.

I stroked the paper with my brush, sometimes changing color by cleaning off the brush and smearing it with other color paints.

My teacher reminded me to get most of the moisture off the brush and etc while I was drawing.

When I finished, the result was good.

I had drawn a Christmas tree with a lot of decorations attached to it. And, there was a yellow star on the top of the tree, while some presents were lying around the Christmas tree.

When I looked out the window, I saw that it was already getting dark. And, when I glanced up at the clock on the wall, I saw that two hours had passed.

It was time to go home

I put all my things into my backpack and left the academy while saying goodbye to my teacher.

"See . . . you . . . later," she answered while waving her hand farewell.

I stepped into the lobby of the apartment where Ahri was living in. The lobby was big, with rich decorations and some comfortable sofas. The apartment consisted of forty floors, and Ahri lived on the thirty-fifth floor.

After I hitched a ride up to the thirty-fifth floor, I entered Ahri's apartment. I think I should tell you how Ahri's apartment looked.

Ahri's apartment was big, with good interior design. Everything was light-colored and was clean. The living room was huge, with another thin (but bigger than the one in the dining room) TV attached to the wall, in front of the long and comfortable sofa.

The kitchen and the dining room was linked, containing the dining chairs, dining table, the thin TV, and a big refrigerator.

And, there were two bedrooms, one for Ahri and one for me. My bedroom used to be a storage room, but Ahri cleared out the few objects inside it and bought a bed just for me!

Didn't I mention that Ahri was the kindest person in my life?

When I entered Ahri's apartment, everything was dark. There were no lights in the apartment.

"A-Ahri?" I called out nervously.

I closed the door behind me and stepped inside while taking off my shoes.

That was when the room was suddenly filled with colorful lights.

There were colorful LEDs attached to the walls, Christmas steamers hanging almost everywhere (most had LEDs attached to them), and a Christmas tree decorated with the glowing star, ornaments, and LEDs was placed in the living room.

And, in the middle of the living room, stood Ahri. And she had a Santa hat on her head.

"Surprise!" Ahri yelled cheerfully, "Merry Christmas eve!"

I was stunned by the sight.

"D-did you prepared this for m-me?" I asked.

"Of course, I did!" she answered enthusiastically and skipped up to me, gently grasped my hands, and led me to the living room, "hey, let's have some fun before eating dinner."

We played some games with the PS4 while sitting on the sofa, watched some funny TV shows (we were laughing most of the time because the TV show was really funny), and watched some movies.

Ahri had ordered a pizza for dinner. When the pizza delivery woman came, she was stunned when she saw Ahri opening the door to pay for the pizza. She stuttered in shock for a moment. Then, she instantly pulled out a paper and a pen and gave it to Ahri.

She stuttered about her being a big fan of Ahri and K/DA. And she asked Ahri for her autograph.

"Can you write 'To Sivir, from Ahri'?" Sivir asked excitedly while blushing.

After Ahri gave her the autograph, she asked if she could take a selfie with her. Ahri agreed, and they took a selfie.

When Sivir took four or five selfies of her and Ahri, she squealed with delight while thanking Ahri several times.

"I'll take this autograph and the selfies to my grave!" She said before leaving. Ahri waved goodbye while smiling at her and shut the door.

"I love meeting with my fans," Ahri said to me while smiling happily.

We ate while watching Christmas movies on the TV. Then, when it was almost 12AM, we both drifted into sleep, me leaning on her shoulder and her rapping her arms around me.

* * *

"Wake up, little one!" I was awoken by an excited nine tailed fox. "It's Christmas!"

I was instantly awoken, and I was whooping around the living room, even though my eyes were still half shut.

We ate a grand breakfast, and while I was finishing up, Ahri told me a great news.

"We're going to the amusement park today," Ahri announced, "to celebrate Christmas!"

I looked at her with excitement on my face. "Really?!" I asked joyfully.

She nodded while smiling at me. "Yes, really," she answered.

"This is the fun thing that you'd planned yesterday?"

When Ahri nodded, I leaped upwards while thrusting my fist into the air. "Yes!" I whooped.

I'd never been to an amusement park before, until now.

It turned out that she'd been planning for this for a long time. She'd already bought the tickets and we were there early, so the expensive sports car that Ahri was driving had no trouble finding the parking space.

Ahri was wearing a hoodie and a cap to cover her identity, and a mask too (it didn't stand out because it was winter, thankfully).

And I'd to say that going to an amusement park was really fun! The things that I'd only watched on TV were now standing in front of me while the Christmas songs were drifting in the air.

"So, where do you want to go, first?" Ahri asked while smiling proudly at me.

I was holding the map of this huge amusement park, and I pointed at a logo of the merry-go-round on the map. "I think I want to go there."

* * *

I had a great time at this place. Merry-go-round made me dizzy, but it was enjoyable, riding the bumper car was fun (even though Ahri kept on crashing her bumper car into mine), and other rides were super exciting.

At lunchtime, we ate some hotdogs at a food court, and played some arcade games at some arcade areas (there were many arcade areas in this amusement park). Then, we continued riding other rides, like the (Viking themed) pirate ship, a rollercoaster (which I swore to Ahri, who was laughing after we rode it, to never ride it again), the drop tower (had a great time, but I think that my intestines were still up there somewhere), a ride that goes around and the thing that you're riding (shaped like a cup) goes around in the different direction (think about a merry-go-round that goes around super quickly, and the horses that you're riding is rotating in a different direction), and etc.

When it was night time, there was a big parade and it was beautiful to watch.

And when we were going back to Ahri's apartment, we were talking excitedly about the rides that we rode, the arcade games that Ahri kept winning, and the parade that we saw.

"Oh, by the way Jeffric," Ahri said while stopping her sports car at the side of the road, "I have something to give you."

She opened her car door and stood up, "I'll be back quickly."

She closed the door and I saw her going to the back of the sports car and opening the trunk. She pulled out something and went back to the front.

She opened the car door and sat down on the driver's seat. I was sitting on the front passenger seat (still don't know why people calls this seat 'shotgun'), next to Ahri, so I could see what she was holding.

It was a box which was wrapped with a colorful Christmas-motif wrapping paper.

"Merry Christmas, Jeffric," Ahri said while handing me the box, "I'd bought a gift for you."

I cautiously pulled off the wrapping paper and opened the box.

Inside the box, there was a brand new laptop, a drawing tablet, and a guidebook of how to use the drawing tablet.

"You told me that you want to draw a webtoon someday," Ahri said while blushing, "so, I thought these might be helpful to you."

I sat there like a statue while looking at the presents that Ahri had given to me with awe.

Then I looked at Ahri while smiling joyfully at her.

"Thank you, Ahri," I said gratefully, "you're the most awesome person in the world!"

I was really happy. I always wanted to be a person who draws webtoon. But, my parents ignored my wishes, and never bought me the things that were needed to draw a webtoon.

Now, Ahri had given the tools for Christmas present just for me.

I felt as if my heart was getting warmed by the sun.

"Thank you so much."

* * *

When we arrived at her apartment, Ahri crashed on the sofa while I went quickly into my room, pulled the present box out from its hiding place, and quickly went to the living room.

"A-Ahri," I said while stepping in front of her, "I have a present for you, too."

I gave her the present while my arms were trembling with anticipation.

"M-Merry Christmas!" I added quickly.

"Why, thank you little one," Ahri said and opened the present.

Inside was my drawing of Ahri in her K/DA outfit. I started to draw it few months ago, and every night before going to bed, I drew this slowly while getting the smallest details right as possible. The result was the real lifelike drawing of Ahri, which looked so real that I thought the drawing would jump out of the paper when I was done. It kind of looked like a photo, too, as if Ahri was looking at the camera while smiling when the camera man took the picture.

When I finished the drawing, I put it inside a frame (that I'd bought) which had a small crutch attached to its back, making it possible to place it somewhere.

"Wow!" She exclaimed while her eyes grew wide, "this really looks like me!"

She held it in front of her with one hand, staring at my drawing of her while touching her face with the other hand.

Then, she gently put the drawing on the coffee table which was placed in front of the sofa, making it possible to let people who're sitting on the sofa to look at it.

Then, she stoked my hair while smiling gratefully at me.

"I really like your present, Jeffric," Ahri said. "Thank you for drawing this beautiful picture of me."

"No problem, Ahri," I said while grinning broadly, "I just wanted it to give you the perfect present."

* * *

That night, I lay on my bed, while still smiling from the memories of me and Ahri going around the amusement park and we exchanging presents.

Before I met Ahri, I always felt empty at Christmas. But at this year's Christmas, I felt really warm and happy.

Tears of joy fell from my eyes while I was drifting into sleep.

This was my best Christmas ever!

"Merry Christmas," I mumbled sleepily and I drifted into sleep.

 **(A/N)**

 **Merry Christmas, or Merry Christmas Eve, everyone! Have a great day!**


	17. Special EP:3

It was already 10:00 PM. Only two hours left before the New Year and I had a cold, which made my throat hurt and gave me a headache.

Outside, the skies were dark, and the colorful lights of the city glowed warmly amongst the building. And, it was snowing

I loved it when it snowed. Small snowflakes falling from the skies above and onto the ground makes me feel calm and sad at the same time, wishing that I was one of them, slowly falling to the ground as a part of a group.

I opened the window of the living room and put my arm out into the open, opening my hand to touch as much snowflakes as possible.

"Be careful," the familiar seductive voice said from behind me, "your condition might get worse."

I made a squeaking noise and almost toppled out of the window, but warm hands grabbed me by the shoulders, stopping me from falling.

"A-Ahri," I said while trying to steady my heart, "y-you scared me." Then I coughed. _Dang, my voice sounds hoarse because of the cold._

"I'm sorry," Ahri apologized.

"Anyway," I said while staring at her with a confused look on my face, "weren't you hanging out with your friends?"

Ahri's friends, the members of K/DA; Akali, Evelynn, and Kai'sa. I saw them on the TV before I even met Ahri, and to me, they seemed to be really nice. But I still think Ahri's the best.

The reason I was confused was because she told me this morning that she'll hang out with them today, because it was New Year's Eve. I was OK with it because I was used to it, my family leaving behind me while they're going somewhere cool.

It was usual.

"Well, I told them that I've a business to attend," she answered.

"And what's that?"

She smiled at me. "You."

I stared at her in confusion, then in shock. Then my cheeks started to blush when my brain processed what she meant.

"You . . . Mean . . ." I said, "you . . . came back . . . just for me . . . ?"

Ahri nodded in delight.

"Well, I can't leave you behind on your own, right?"

"I'm really grateful, Ahri," I said. I was really touched by her, coming back to just to be with _me_.

"Almost two hours are left before New Year begins," Ahri said to me, "so what do you think that we should do?"

"Well, I guess we could watch movies on the TV," I said, "because I can't go out because of my condition."

We were watching a romance movie, which Ahri pleaded to watch. It was the usual cheesy romance movie where the man and the woman became loves because they had a similar dark and sad past. When we watched it to the end, Ahri stretched while making some moaning noises, which were kind of uncomfortable to me.

"Umm . . . what time is it?" I asked uncomfortably.

Ahri turned on her smartphone and saw the time.

"11:50" she answered excitedly, "only 10 minutes left before the New Year."

"Wow," I said while leaning my back on the sofa, "I can't believe that a year is going to pass soon."

"Yeah," Ahri said while sighing deeply, "time surly goes fast."

Then her ears perked up. "Tell me, Jeffric, what's your New Year's resolution?"

I was caught by surprise with this question. "Umm . . . Uhhh . . ."

"I guess you didn't make one," Ahri said while laughing softly.

"Well . . . yeah," I said while blushing with embarrassment.

"I didn't make one, too."

"Oh," I perked up.

"Well, it's not _that_ late to make one," Ahri said while glancing sideways at me. "So, what would you settle for your New Year's resolution?"

I thought for a moment. What was the thing I'd wanted to promise myself in my life?

That was an easy question.

"I think my New Year's resolution is to be a happy person this year," I said finally. "How about you?"

Ahri thought deeply for a moment, her nine tails waving behind her while resting her chin on her index finger.

Then she spoke as if she'd made a conclusion; "My New Year's resolution is to not make mistakes that I would regret later."

"I think that's good," I said while nodding slowly. Her New Year's resolution was little bit queer, because it sounded as if she'd made a mistake that she regretted . . .

 _What if the mistake that she made is bringing me to her home?_

That thought suddenly hit me like a dagger plunging through my heart.

 _But . . . I haven't done anything to make her angry_ , I mentally argued my doubtful part of my mind.

 _How do you know that?_

My mind suddenly started to remind me of the times that my mom and dad stared at me with disappointment in their eyes while telling me that I was a disappointment. That my existence was a mistake.

Mistake.

I'm a mistake.

Then my imagination showed me Ahri, but with disappointment in her eyes, staring down at me like I was a trash.

 _Stop it_ , I pleaded, _please stop . . ._

The image disappeared, instantly, and I thankfully didn't panic and didn't show Ahri that I was unstable.

"Umm . . . Ahri," I asked tentatively, "did you make any mistakes that you regretted later?"

Ahri was silent for a moment. Then, she sighed deeply.

"Yes," Ahri finally said, "and I still regret it."

My heart started to beat faster.

"W-what is . . . it?"

"Picking the path of K-pop," Ahri finally said.

I stared at her in shock, not believing what I'd just heard.

"B-but you're successful," I said with confusion in my voice, "a-and you have tons of fans around the world!"

"Jeffric," she said, "sometimes, fame isn't everything. Sometimes, you want to keep your privacy and live as a normal person."

Then she sighed again. "And, I hate receiving hate messages from other people. It reminds me that there're people who're like monsters in this world."

I didn't say anything. What could I say?

It's true, after all . . .

"But at least you're not a monster, eh?" Ahri said playfully while nudging me with her elbow, "and at least Akali, Evelynn, and Kai'sa are nice people to work with."

I smiled uncertainly at her. "Yeah . . ." I agreed.

Ahri checked her smartphone and her eyes grew wide.

"Hey, only a minute's left before the New Year!" Ahri announced.

I looked back at the things that had happened this year. Running from my house, finding the credit card, being chased by Ahri, staying at Ahri's house, and hanging out with Ahri.

I'd to say, this year was my luckiest year of my life.

Then, the clock on Ahri's smartphone turned from 11:59 to 12:00.

"Happy New Year!" Ahri yelled while jumping up from the sofa.

"Happy New Year," I said while smiling broadly while not realizing that this was the first time that I'd smiled when the New Year came.

And, I had this good feeling that this year's going to be great.

At least, better than the previous years . . .

 **(A.N.)**

 **OK, guys. Now I'll continue writing the main story. Thanks for the support and happy New Year! (or happy New Year's Eve!)**


	18. Chapter 13

_**(Warning! This chapter may be disturbing to some (many) readers. You have been warned and please read this chapter with caution. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED)**_

Something was wrong.

I looked around and saw that I was standing on a landscape which was the color of burnt ashes. I looked up and saw that the sky was dark. There were no stars nor a moon.

Then I realized that it was hard to distinguish which was the landscape and which was the sky.

I suddenly noticed that the ground around me was visible, illuminated by a blue light

And it was coming from behind me.

"Hello, Jeffric," a cold voice said from behind me.

I whirled around and saw who spoke and what was the source of the illumination.

A gigantic blue orb was standing on the dark ground, illuminating the blue light around it while glowing with warmth. And a stream of blue mist was floating down onto it from the dark skies above.

And the person standing beside it . . .

My eyes grew wide when I saw who it was.

It was . . . me?!

No, it wasn't me, because he had red eyes. Red eyes full of anger, hatred, and insanity.

"How nice to see you, my 'friend'," the person said while stepping toward me.

I stepped back in uneasily.

"Wh-who're you?" I asked in a trembling voice "H-how did you know my n-name?"

The person chuckled, and it sent chills down my spine.

"Oh, Jeffric," the person finally said, "you know what I am."

I shook my head while trying to contain my fear. "I-I don't k-know you."

The person looked at me with an amused smile on his face. "Of course, you know me," the person said, "you created me, insufferable bastard!"

"W-what do you—?"

"Oh, _now_ you want to know _how_ you created me," the person said sarcastically and started to laugh hysterically. I started to feel horror rising in my stomach when I heard his voice and laughter. They started to sound like . . . demonic all of a sudden.

Who was he?

Why did he have my face?

And why was he saying that I'd created him?

"Well, Jeffric, my old friend," the insane person said, and before I knew it, he was standing right next to me with his arm over my shoulder. I froze with fear while trying to process what just happened.

"Well, Jeffric, my old friend," he repeated, "you always hated all the people in your village because they abused you, right?"

I stayed quiet.

"They mocked you, spoke behind you, ignored you, teased you, pushed you around, and other horrible things, eh?" he said as if he was talking to his buddy, "and you always cried alone in the corner of your room, with no one to talk to and no one to comfort you that everything will be "OK" while you pushed your anger, hatred, and your longings into the depths of your soul."

To me, it seemed as if the person's voice was filling with malice.

"And do you know what those anger, hatred, and your longings formed inside the depths of your soul?"

I violently shook my head.

The person's grin grew wider, revealing his sharp-looking teeth.

"They formed into me, Jeffric," the person said gleefully, "and so, you created me."

I couldn't believe it. No, I can't believe it . . .

"N-no," I finally spoke, "i-its' impossible. I-I must be dreaming. This must be a n-nightma—"

The person suddenly grabbed me by the collar with his right hand and raised me from the ground. I tried to breath, but nothing came into my lungs. I started to choke and gag, trying desperately to breath in air, but it was useless.

"Stop trying to avoid what's real, pal!" the person roared in anger, "I'm sick of your foolishness!"

I grabbed his arm and tried to pull my self out of his grasp, but it didn't work.

"Every time I whispered at you to release me, the embodiment of your rage and hatred, at them, you ignored and pushed me down into this depth," the person hissed while gesturing around him, "every time I tried get out, you hold me back. You detained me when I could've punished those pathetic fools!"

Then, he threw me toward the gigantic orb. I flew through the air and landed in front of the magical orb, which surface was swirling around chaotically.

Before I could even stand up, the person teleported in front of me.

"You always trapped me inside _no matter what_ ," the person said while staring down at me.

To my horror, his eyes started to change. The big red eyes were morphed into slits while becoming bloodshot. And their pupils turned to the size of a small dot.

"I kept getting pressed down. But guess what, pal? That thing behind you will soon change it all!"

I glanced back at the gigantic orb and glanced back at the person.

"W-what do you mean . . . ?"

"You see, Jeffric," the person said while getting closer to me, "that thing came out of nowhere."

He pointed at the orb while smiling broadly, revealing his pointy teeth again.

"And that thing contains somethings . . . powerful," he said and stopped in front of me. "Powerful enough to get out of this miserable place."

"And do you know what they are?" he hissed while crouching down, staring straight into my eyes.

I trembled while trying to shake my head.

"Trillions of damned souls," he said. "That thing," he said while pointing at the orb, "contains vengefulness souls that could engulf this world. If I, no, _we_ use that thing, we'll make those bastards back in our village suffer."

Then he broke into a loud laughter, so loud and filled with insanity that I'd to cover my ears with my hands.

"S-stop," I whimpered, "please . . ."

The person grabbed my hands and yanked them away from my ears.

"We could make them feel the hatred of trillions of people, Jeffric!" he yelled at me, "we could make them feel trillion times more agonizing pain that we'd felt!"

Then he grabbed my hair with his hand painfully and shook it, making my head shake as well while feeling as if my hair will fall out.

"Me, no, _we_ can have our revenge!" he roared. Then he stared at the orb with a malicious glint in his crimson eyes.

"When I learn how to control them," he said, "I will become the Master of Souls!"

Then he stood up. "And, I will torment the people that made us suffer until they beg us to kill them."

* * *

Ahri was sitting in front of the campfire, facing the cave entrance.

She stared into the campfire, staring at the dry branches that were now burning and turning into ashes.

"You're lucky," Ahri muttered to the ashes of the fireplace while staring at them, "you don't have to worry about your past because now you're nothing but ashes." Then she looked up and stared out at the entrance, right at the night sky. "While I have to stay and suffer by the memories . . ."

Then she noticed something.

A trail of the blue life essence was trailing into the cave.

She glanced back to see where the trail led to and she saw that it led directly to Jeffric who was lying on his bed. He was sound a sleep and he was surrounded by the life essence which were now seeping into him.

 _Where are they coming from?_ she wondered. She'd thought of that ever since she'd first seen him do something like that.

She stood up and walked out of the cave, following the trail of the mist-like life essence.

When she stepped out, she saw that the mist was split into several directions into the forest.

"This is interesting . . ."

She followed on thin trail of life essence, going deeper into the forest.

The trail split into multiple directions, and when she followed one, it split into another multiple directions, and when she followed one, it split into another multiple directions.

When she reached the end, she saw one of the multiple sources of the life essence. To her horror, she saw a dead dear lying on the ground. She rushed toward it and knelt down beside it.

It was an old dear, and there were no signs of wounds anywhere.

From her guess, it died at this morning.

The life essence was coming out of its eyes and mouth, and few seconds later, all the life essence came out of the animal's corpse.

It turned out that Jeffric was sucking out life essence from already-dead animals.

She stood up and headed back toward the cave.

When she arrived at the cave, she found herself walking up to the sleeping body of the boy. He was stirring quite a bit as if he was having a nightmare.

He was still surrounded by the life essence and she felt an urge to devour the glowing essence. She tried to resist, but she found herself leaning forward and burying her face into the floating life essence.

"Just some of it . . ." she muttered to herself, and she started to inhale them.

Pleasure overwhelmed her as she felt the fox part of her retreating into the corner of her being. She started to inhale more and more.

Then, she walked closer to the boy and leaned closer, until she was face-to-face with the boy.

"Just a little more . . ." she reassured herself and started to inhale.

Life essence flowed out of the boy's mouth and into hers.

Suddenly, memories of battles, wars, fighting, and other unpleasant memories passed her mind. She wasn't devouring the boy's life essence but the centuries-worth life essence that surrounded the boy's life essence.

She moaned softly when she felt pleasure engulf her once again, the sense of bliss washing over her like warm water.

She kept of sucking out life essence out of his body while the memories that weren't his passed through her mind.

 _I need to stop . . ._ she thought and tried to get up, but her body didn't listen.

Her body wanted more. She wanted to engulf more life essence. That was the only way to become human, and her desire was so great that even she couldn't stop herself.

 _No! Stop!_ Ahri desperately tried to break free, but her desire overwhelmed her, and she inhaled more and more.

She kept inhaling, digging a straight hole down through the centuries worth of life essence that coated the boy's own life essence, and kept moaning with pleasure.

It felt as if she'd became a doll controlled by the strings of a puppet master. The desire of consuming life essence controlled her, and she couldn't do anything to stop it. It was too hungry for her to control it.

She felt sorrow while feeling exhilarating at the same time. The pleasure of consuming life essence and gaining memories from them filled her with pleasure and lust for more.

A tear rolled down her left cheek.

That single tear contained her regret and anguish.

* * *

"W-what's happening?" I asked in fear while pointing my finger at the orb.

The person who looked like me looked at the gigantic orb in confusion.

A tiny stream of blue mist was floating out of the gigantic orb, leaving behind a long (but tiny) hole on the orb.

"Huh, never seen that kind of thing happening before," the person said. Then looked down at me. "Now," he said while sneering, "to business."

* * *

For countless minutes she inhaled, and to her horror, she started to see the boy's memories. She'd finally reached the boy's life essence.

 _. . . Jeffric was getting whipped by a man who looked to be his father. He was screaming at the eleven-year-old Jeffric that he wasn't a true man, and he shouldn't had been born. Jeffric's screams rang through his house as blood started to gush out of his scar-littered back . . ._

 _. . . Thirteen-year-old Jeffric was running through the streets, being chased by a group of kids who looked to be in his age. He was covered in dirt and bruises, but he kept running. When he reached his house, he quickly opened its front door and ran in. In the house, a woman who looked to be his mother yelled at him to get out, that he'll make the house dirty. She pushed him out of the house and slammed the door shut. The group of kids were waiting for him and they surrounded him and started to beat him to a pulp . . ._

 _. . . Fourteen-year-old Jeffric was standing in the middle of his small room, having his back on his room's door. Outside, he could hear the shouts and screams of his parents fighting and arguing with each other. He crumpled onto the ground as if he was hit by an arrow and covered his ears with his hands. He begged them to stop under his breath, but, of course, nobody heard him . . ._

"Stop!" Ahri screamed and she finally broke free.

She fell onto the ground amongst the dried leaves. She whizzed while writhing on the ground. Tears of shame, regret, and pain flowed out of her eyes and spilled onto the ground.

"What have I done . . ." she whispered while staring into oblivion. "Not again . . . it's happening again . . ."

Suddenly, everything around her became dark, and a face of a man appeared some meters in front of her. His raven hair was dark as ink, and his face was pale while his eyes were open but staring into nothing.

It was the face of her dead lover.

"I-I'm sorry . . ." Ahri whispered in agony and started to crawl toward his face, hovering in the darkness. "Please forgive me . . ."

She reached out to his face pleadingly.

The face of his lover didn't answer. Then, it started to morph into someone else's face.

The raven hair turned into brown while growing longer, his eyes turned to green, and his facial features changed until they changed into the face she knew well.

It'd turned into Jeffric's face. And he had the same dead-look on his eyes.

"N-no . . ." Ahri pleaded, "not you too . . . please . . ."

Then she covered her face with both of her hands and started to weep in misery. "What have I done . . ."

She was a fool.

Because of her selfishness, because of her desire to become human, and because of her staying with the boy, she had exposed the boy to danger.

"The danger is me . . ." Ahri whispered.

She almost killed him . . .

Some say that history repeats itself.

Ahri realized that her mistakes repeat itself, too.

* * *

I started to hear Ahri weeping somewhere. I whirled around, but I only saw the dark landscape stretching around us infinitely.

"So," the person said. "Are you gonna join me, or retreat like a coward?" Then, he laughed. "Even though your opinion doesn't matter."

I ignored him while searching around for Ahri.

"Ahri?" I called out at the dark landscape, "where're you?"

"I guess you—" the person started to say something, but I snapped.

"Stop it!" I yelled at him while standing up quickly. "I don't know who you're exactly, but I need to go."

I started to run toward the direction where Ahri's weeping noises were coming from.

"You're trying to stop the inevitable, Jeffric!" I heard him yelling at my back, "today, you'll run away, but someday, you'll face me again! And we _will_ have our revenge on those fools!"

I kept on running while yelling out Ahri's name.

I ran and ran, until my legs were aching. But I ignored the aching and ran . . .

* * *

I opened my eyes and heard Ahri weeping somewhere beside me.

 _What's happening?_ My mind asked, _what's happening . . . ?_


	19. Chapter 14

I looked sideways and saw Ahri lying on the ground while covering her face with both of her hands. And she was . . . crying? She had her back to me, but I knew instantly that she was crying.

"Ahri . . ." I called out sleepily, "what's the matter?"

Ahri sniffled uncontrollably and turned her head toward me.

Her face was wet with tears and her golden eyes were full of sorrow. She had an expression of a person who was in deep grief.

"Jeffric . . ." Ahri whimpered and started to cry again, "I'm sorry . . ."

"Ahri what's the matter?" I asked and tried to stand up from my bed and go to her, but she raised her hand in warning.

"D-don't come near me, Jeffric," she warned through her sniffles, "I-I'm too dangerous for you."

"What do you mean?" I asked in a confused voice.

What was happening? Did I do something wrong?

"I-I made a mistake," she whispered while not meeting my eyes, "I shouldn't have made you stay with me . . ."

I felt my world crumbling around me when I heard her say those words.

What had I done to make Ahri think that it was a mistake to make me stay with her? What had I done . . . ?

"W-why, Ahri . . . ?" I asked in a shocked voice while my eyes started to tear up, "did I do something . . . wrong?"

"You didn't do anything wrong," Ahri answered quickly, "it's just . . . I'm only a harm to your life, Jeffric. If I keep on living with you, you'll d-d-die!"

"Why would I die?" I asked. I was so confused. Why would I die if I keep on living with her?

"J-Jeffric," Ahri said hesitantly while brushing the tears off her cheeks, "I have to tell you something . . ."

She breathed in and out deeply for a moment. Then she spilled the truth out.

"I—" she gulped and said again, "I have an ability to suck and devour the life essence of humans." Then she gulped again and continued. "And devouring them fills me with . . . pleasure and lust that I can't resist . . . it's so blissful that I can't help it . . . sometimes the lust for more overwhelms me. I-I've killed countless humans because of it . . . without giving a second thought."

She covered her face with her hands and started to weep again. "Just a m-moment before, I almost killed you . . ." She said in grief, "I-I almost killed you, Jeffric . . . I've almost killed you as if you're just a helpless prey . . ."

I didn't answer. Before I met her, I feared her because the folktales about her was terrifying. But after I met her, I decided that they were just lies. There was no way possible that a person like Ahri could do such a thing.

But now, she confessed that she'd killed many people . . . and she said that she was about to kill . . . me.

I didn't know what to think. I didn't know what to do.

Everything was just . . . going too fast!

"I'm a danger to you . . ." Ahri whispered sadly, "I shouldn't be around you . . ."

I just started at her through tears, not knowing what to do or what to say.

"I-I must leave you . . ." Ahri said in a trembling voice and she started to sob uncontrollably. "I-I don't want to hurt you . . . I'm so sorry."

Ahri stood up and started to trudge toward the entrance of the cave while crying out more tears.

 _N-no . . ._ I thought in panic, _No!_

I bolted upright and ran, and I found myself standing in front of Ahri, blocking her path to the exit.

"A-Ahri!" I pleaded, "please don't go . . . Please."

"I need to, _Iminha_ ," she said while looking at me with her beautiful golden eyes filled with tears, "I'm a monster. I might kill you if I stay."

"I don't care if you're a monster," I said hurriedly while trying to wipe my tears out of my eyes, "and I don't care if you killed multiple people before."

"My dead lover said that to me before," Ahri whimpered, "and . . . I killed . . . him."

I processed what I'd heard quickly and decided what to say.

"If you want to leave me behind," I said and after I took a deep breath, I finally spoke. "Then . . . you have to kill me first."

Ahri froze and stared at me with disbelief.

Before Ahri could say anything, I spoke first.

"Ahri," I said, "you're the first person who . . . who cared about me. Y-you showed me that there's kindness in this world and you made me feel warmth that I'd never felt before in my life!" Then I stared straight into Ahri's eyes. "But if you leave me . . . I don't know if I could keep on living."

"B-but," Ahri stuttered.

* * *

Ahri didn't know what to do. She needed to leave or she might kill him. But he was blocking her from going away.

 _If you want to leave me behind . . . Then . . . you have to kill me first._

Her mind was a chaotic mess, and her emotions were in turmoil.

What was she going to do?

She fell onto her knees while staring at the ground. Right then, she just wanted to curl into a ball and forget that the world exists.

She just wanted to disappear.

 _What am I going to do? What am I going to do . . ._

Then, Ahri realized that Jeffric had knelt in front of her and he placed both of his hands on her shoulders.

"Ahri . . ." Jeffric said softly, "I know that there're some chances of you killing me. But, if you leave me behind, I will definitely die."

Ahri looked up and stared into his eyes, which were wet with tears and it showed his heartbroken soul.

"Please, Ahri," the boy pleaded, "don't abandon me like the people of my village did . . ."

What was she going to do? On the one hand, she could get overwhelmed by her desire and kill the boy by sucking his life essence out of his body. But on the other hand, the boy wanted her to stay with him. And she understood why he wanted that.

From his memories, Ahri saw Jeffric being abused by the kids of his village and his own parents. He was always alone in his life, and he always cried alone, with no one to comfort him.

No one to give him warmth that humans need.

So, she decided what to do.

"Jeffric, a-are you sure about this . . . ?" Ahri asked in a pleading voice.

The boy nodded.

"Then," Ahri gulped and continued, "I'll . . . stay with you."

When Jeffric heard those words, he immediately hugged her while starting to sob happily.

"Thank you," Jeffric whispered, "thank you . . ."

Then, she felt his body go limp, and when she looked down, she saw that the boy had fallen asleep in her lap.

Ahri looked at the boy's face which was smiling blissfully, and she place her hand on the boy's head and started stroke him, her fingers brushing the boy's brown hair.

Then, she glanced up at the ceiling of the cave.

 _If there's a god or gods up there_ , she prayed, _please . . . don't let me kill this boy._

She looked down at the sleeping boy again and wrapped her arms around him protectively.

 _I beg of you . . ._


	20. Chapter 15

I woke up but I still had my eyes closed. Instantly, the memory of last night floated into my mind like mist. I remembered Ahri saying that she'd killed people. I remembered her crying like a person who'd lost everything, which was technically true.

I remembered her saying that she'd almost killed me.

But still, my perspective on Ahri didn't chance a bit.

After all, a person's nature doesn't matter.

A person's heart matters.

Then, I remembered that I'd a dream about . . . getting engulfed in a warmth of some kind?

It was a blissful and a wonderful dream because I'd never dreamed about something like that before. And I'd never felt that kind of warmth before.

But something was odd . . .

That was when I realized that I still felt that warmth even though I was awake.

 _I don't understand . . ._ I thought in bewilderment and opened my eyes. When I saw the source of the warmth, my eyes grew wide with shock. Then, I felt my face getting warmer while my heart started to thump harder.

Ahri had her arms wrapped around me, hugging me, while my arms were wrapped around her, and my face was looking directly at her chin. She was sleeping, breathing steadily and silently while her chest rose and fell. She was so warm and . . . soft that she made me sleepy. And, I saw that we were lying on her bed.

Talking about her chest . . .

My face started to get more hotter and I felt as if my heart was trying to get out of my body when I realized her . . . breasts . . . were touching my chest, and they pressed into my chest when she inhaled (thankfully, her clothes and my clothes separated our skin, but still . . . it was uncomfortable).

 _Help!_ I screamed internally while trying to think of what to do.

Even though it was comfortable, I decided to get off the bed.

I slowly and carefully tried to remove her arms from my body.

When I was about to get out, Ahri sleepily opened her eyes, and before I knew it, her arms were wrapped around my body again.

"Good morning, _Iminha_ ," Ahri cooed while staring into my eyes, her golden eyes glinting in amusement.

"Uhh . . . good morning, Ahri," I answered nervously while trying to get out again. When her arms still prevented me from leaving, I started to get nervous. "Umm . . . can you let me go, please . . . ?"

Ahri thought for a moment, then a seductive smile spread across her face. "Hmm . . . why should I?"

Even her voice had become seductive.

She hugged me even more tightly and pressed her chin on my head.

I started to panic and tried to wriggle free, but she hugged even more tightly, making me feel uncomfortable.

"Ah, stay here longer _Iminha_ ," she said sweetly while cuddling, "this is so comfortable."

I felt her . . . breasts . . . pressed against my chest and it made my mind go haywire.

 _Don't you dare think about her breasts!_ I yelled mentally. _Don't think about Ahri's soft and busty breasts . . . ?_

I started to blush even more than before.

"A-Ahri," I stuttered, "y-your breasts . . . are touching me . . ."

"Oh, really?" Ahri said slyly, then, to my shock, she rubbed her . . . breasts . . . on my chest teasingly.

I opened my mouth to say something, but only confused noises came out while I started to feel as if my body's temperature were going higher and higher.

"Uhh . . . Umm . . . Uhh . . ."

Ahri laughed softly and she stopped . . . rubbing her . . . breast . . . against my chest and leveled her face with mine and stared into my eyes.

"Jeffric, I need to tell you something," she said seriously. Then she blinked several times, and her expression looked as if she was regretting something, and she spoke. "I'm sorry about . . . yesterday night. I-I shouldn't have tried to leave you and I should've thought about how you would feel . . ."

She looked down with a sad expression on my face. "I-I was a fool."

"No, you're not," I said immediately in a comforting voice, "you're a generous person, Ahri. You decided to stay with me."

Then, I hugged her. "I'm just thankful for you staying with me.

* * *

That morning, while Jeffric was trying to think what to draw on the parchment, Ahri sat down next to him.

"Jeffric, I want to tell you something that you might now know."

Jeffric nodded and smiled to let Ahri know that she could ask him anything.

"Well, I told you that I have an ability to suck life essence," Ahri continued, "what I didn't tell you were that I could also feel or 'see' them in human bodies." She hesitated, and continued. "I could see your life essence, Jeffric. But . . . it's surrounded with many years' worth of life essence which aren't yours. And . . . your body is sucking life essence out of dead animals and consuming them while you're sleeping."

To her surprise, the boy didn't seem to be surprised.

"I kind of already realized some parts of what you said," Jeffric said.

When Ahri looked at him with a confused expression on her face, Jeffric explained. "I had a . . . dream about it, you might say."

Ahri nodded as if she'd understood.

* * *

 _So, that orb was made of life essence . . ._ I thought and remembered what the . . . person who'd resembled me told me; _that means the trillions of damned souls are coexisting with the life essence?_ Then, a question appeared in my mind.

"Uhh . . .Ahri," I said while looking at her, "what's a 'life essence', exactly?"

Ahri made her 'I'm thinking what to say' face, which included her puffing out her cheeks.

"I guess you could say that it's a substance that contains humans' memories. Also, it's an essential substance that humans need to live," Ahri said after thinking, "just think of it as spiritual water or blood."

"Hmm . . ." I said while scratching my head. Then, he looked down at the parchment. "Maybe I should depict it with a drawing."

I opened the caps of the bottles that contained different colors of blue, picked up the brush and put the tip inside the bottle of water, shook the moisture out, put it into one of the bottles containing blue substance, and started to draw on the parchment.

I lost myself to the rhythm of art while starting to mix the blue colors to make it look as if it was magical, like the orb that I'd seen in my . . . dream.

Ahri was looking at me from my side while admiring the drawing that was starting to form in front of her eyes.

When I finished, she was awed by my work.

"Jeffric," Ahri said, "it's so wonderful!"

I drew the gigantic orb that I'd seen in my . . . dream. I depicted the orb's swirling surface and the shimmering by mixing the different colors of blue. It looked so real that I made me feel dizzy.

On second thought, it looked more like a nebula than a magical orb, which was still beautiful.

"Thanks, Ahri," I answered while smiling at her. Then a thought formed in my mind; _I wish this kind of things lasts long . . ._

* * *

Somewhere in the forest, several men were sitting around a campfire doing nothing interesting.

"So, when're we going to capture that nine-tailed vastaya?" One bandit asked while twirling his hunting knife in his right hand. "I mean, months had pass since our first try."

"Not know, lad," the second bandit said, "but soon."

"Finally!" the third one said while cracking his neck, "I'm sick of stealing things from travelers."

Everybody around the campfire agreed by whooping.

"Me too, lads" the second bandit said while looking out into the forest. Then, he smiled maliciously. "Me too."


	21. Special EP:4

**(A/N)**

 **In the alternative universe, Jeffric is now 19 (welcome to the New Year) while in the main storyline, Jeffric is 15 (at least for now, because he's going to age in this story). I just wanted to be clear here, and please don't get confused.**

 **P.S. the special episodes were just going to be chapters that celebrated Christmas and the New Year, but I decided to write more (so basically, I'm going to write two stories in one book).**

"I'm so bored," Ahri whined.

"Me too," I whined back.

We were both lying on the sofa, Ahri sitting on the right part while me sitting on the left part. Our bodies were limp with boredom and our minds were blank.

It was Sunday evening, and we were whining because we were bored.

Ahri was mature and she was more seductive than cute. But, when she was bored, she acted like a cute anime girl for some reason.

Talking about anime, Ahri always teased me that I reminded her of many male protagonists of anime because of my youthful face (even though she said to me that I kind of looked like a girl sometimes . . . suddenly, I feel sorry for myself for no apparent reason), my personality, and my whole physical appearance that looked as if puberty didn't strike at all.

News flash; puberty already struck and it past away just a year ago. And, for some reason, acne didn't spread on my face. As matter of fact, my skin was always pale, and I never had skin problems.

Ahri pressed her foot on my leg. "Jeffric," Ahri whined, "got any ideas on what we should do?"

"I don't know," I said while gazing at her foot uncomfortably, "how about you?"

"I got nothing," Ahri said while stretching her arms into the air while yawning.

Then something went up to my mind. "Hey, didn't you said that many designers made clothes for you or something?"

"Hmm . . ." Suddenly, Ahri, jumped up. "I have an idea!" she exclaimed. "How about a fashion show?"

I looked at her with a confused face.

"Uhh . . . what do you mean by that?"

"We could have our own fashion show," Ahri explained, "you could be the audience and I could be the model. And, I could wear the clothes that my designers made for me and walk across the living room from my room, then walk back to my room, change clothes quickly, and do this over and over!"

I nodded my head. It sounded good to me, because it was better than nothing.

"That's a good idea," I said.

I knew how fashion shows worked because Ahri forced me to watch one a week ago.

Ahri forced me to watch it because she said it was "Educational."

 _Are fashion shows educational?_ I asked myself back then.

Ahri turned on a fashion show's background music (which sounded metallic and electronic) on her phone and she walked into her room and shut the door behind her. Ahri's room was linked with the living room, and if she walked forward out of her room (without stopping), she will walk pass the sofa and walk straight into the broad window of the living room.

Ahri placed a chair for me to sit in front of the living room's broad window. From this view, I would face her, and she would walk toward me, turn around in front of me, and walk back to her room.

I was sitting on the chair while trying to be comfortable on it. And, for some reason, I was sweating in . . . unease.

I was wondering why I was like that when I realized something;

Ahri, the Lead Vocalist of K/DA, the most famous K-pop girl group in the whole planet, was going to present me a private fashion show.

Of course, I was uneasy! If another person like me, a high school social outcast that was bullied daily with no one to stand up for me, was in my position right now, they will be more than uneasy.

Then, the door opened, and Ahri stepped out.

She was wearing a white and pink hanbok (Korean traditional clothes), which was designed to be easy to move (the designer made the dress of the hanbok shorter than normal). She headed straight toward me while smiling. She sashayed across the living room, as if she was on the runway, and when she was a meter away from me, she stopped and she put one hand on her waist while waving at me with the other, like as if she was taking a pose for a camera man.

Then, she turned around and sashayed back toward her room.

When she entered her room, she closed the door.

"The fashion show music really makes this feel like a fashion show . . ." I mumbled to myself.

When she came out of her room again, she was wearing a school uniform that looked as if it'd came straight out of an anime. And, she had a pink wig on her head.

She sashayed across the living room and, when she was standing in front of me, she made two peace signs with her hands while sticking her tongue out (in a cute way). Then, she went back to her room, and, I might be wrong, but she seemed to wave her hips more than before.

She wore a lot of cool, beautiful, or awesome-looking clothes and she stood in different poses in front of me before sashaying back to her room.

When she was wearing an outfit, that reminded me of teenagers that hung out in arcades, and was sashaying back to her room, she looked back at me.

"The last one is special," she said while winking at me, "and it's not designed by fashion designers."

When she went back into her room and shut the door, I was squirming on the chair.

What did she mean by "special"? And why did she wink at me?

I touched my cheek with my palm and felt it growing hot.

And what was wrong with my cheek?

When my mind tried to imagine what Ahri was going to wear, no results came out.

Then, the door opened and Ahri stepped out.

Ahri was wearing familiar-looking clothes. She was wearing a pink cap (that looked like a police cap) which had a golden heart attached to its front, really tight-looking light-purple T-shirt (I _think_ it's a T-shirt but I might be wrong), a thin-looing pink jacket (that had an epaulette on the left shoulder) over that, stockings (I think because I'm not an expert on women clothes), and tight pink shorts, and black high hills.

She had dyed her tails in pink, and she had an orange wig over her head, covering her smooth blond hair.

She was wearing her old attire that she wore when she first became a K-pop sensation, and before K/DA!

"Holy cow . . ." I gasped.

"Well, I told you that this would be special," she said. Then, she started to sashay across the living room slowly, and she was licking her lips with her tongue.

And, for some reason, I felt . . . helpless.

Really helpless.

To me, she looked like a fox hunting down a helpless prey.

That prey was me.

When she was in front of me, she executed a part of her old dance, which contained leaning forward while moving her body back and forth to empathize her . . . body, swaying her body sideways, and saluting while standing in a posture which would knock out her fanboys.

I was squirming on the chair while trying to figure out why I was getting hotter by the second and why I was sweating like crazy.

And I realized that something really odd is happening to my body. My heart was pounding as if I somebody was punching it. My heartbeat was really faster than normal, and I felt something that I couldn't express. I felt this before when I was doing special things with Ahri. But now, I felt as if the feeling was overwhelming my heart and my mind. It felt like I'm having a crush on . . .

The realization hit me hard like a bully did with his baseball bat many months ago.

 _A-affection . . . ?!_

But that couldn't be right! My every being already knew that I would never have a girlfriend because every girl that I had a crush on hated me, thought I was a jerk, moved away, or got taken. My every being already knew that me having a girlfriend wasn't meant to be.

Sad fact; every girl that I had a crush on had similar names.

Wait, why am I telling you this?

Anyway, this couldn't be right. But, why was my body reacting like this?

"What's the matter, Jeffric?" Ahri asked slyly. "Fox got your tongue?"

"N-no," I answered nervously, then I said something before I knew what I was saying, "it's just you're so gorgeous."

"Well, thank you," she cooed while leaning forward and smiling sweetly at me.

 _Wait, what did I just say?_ My mind asked,

 _You told her that she's gorgeous, you dummy!_ The other mind yelled at me. _Are you stupid?! You can't just tell a girl or a woman that! You'll look like a pervert!_

Uh-oh.

"I-I'm not a pervert!" I blurted out.

Ahri looked at me with an amused look on her face. "I didn't say you're a pervert," she said and laughed softly.

"I . . . uh, I mean that . . ."

I was so panicking that I didn't know what to say. Speaking to another person in an awkward or an embarrassing moment wasn't my specialty.

Unluckily, this was an awkward and an embarrassing moment.

When I was about to cover my face with my hands, Ahri laid her hands on both of my thighs.

"Why so embarrassed, Jeffric?" she said while staring into my eyes, making me blush more.

"I-I don't know . . ." I answered nervously while feeling a single sweat trickling down while being aware of her hands touching my thighs.

She placed her hand on my head and I flinched, but I calmed down when she started to pat me.

"You're so cute," she giggled while caressing my cheek with the other hand.

My face got hotter and hotter while my eyes grew wider than before.

"M-me . . . ? C-c-cute . . . ?" I stuttered. Then I realized something. "Nobody told me something like that in my life . . ."

"Until now," she said sweetly, and, before I knew it, she kissed me on the forehead.

That night I was lying on my bed with my eyes still opened. I was hugging my covers tightly while my teeth were clenched. My mind was in jumbled mess and my heart was still beating quickly.

Today, I felt the feeling of having a crush again which I hadn't felt for ages. I hugged my covers even more tightly. I forgot how it felt like to have a crush on someone . . .

I touched my forehead, where Ahri had kissed, and felt myself blushing again.

Then I remembered he previous girls that I had a crush on and questioned myself;

 _Can I, a person who couldn't even date a normal person, love a person who is so famous?_

That question rang through my mind until I finally drifted into sleep.

 **(A/N) [Yes, another one]**

 **I'm going to have some time off to fix the previous chapters because the first arc of the story is over (Ahri and Jeffric officially staying together, Jeffric meeting his inner demon, and etc.) and I think I need to make the story board of this story (that I wrote on a piece of paper) much clearer than before. And always, thank you for the support! I love you guys!**


	22. Prologue of Chapter 1

**(A/N)**

 **This chapter was written to 'celebrate' Valentine's Day (yeah, right). No, it's not a usual love story, but a story of being lonely. Yes, I wrote this story for people who doesn't have a girlfriend or a boyfriend. I know your pain, because I don't have a girlfriend. :'(**

 **This takes place at Chapter 1, before and after Jeffric saw Ahri bathing.**

 **Oh, and remember;**

 **Couple: Hell**

 **Single: Heaven**

Ahri was lying on the grassy ground while staring up at the top branches of the trees. Sunlight was shining through the branches, but it didn't hurt her eyes thanks to the thick branches.

Countless times of trying to find her origin was now making her tired. She couldn't even find the man with soft-winged eyebrows who appeared in the memory of the treacherous fortuneteller named Hirin.

What was the point of searching for something when the thing that she was searching for seemed to not exist?

She stood up and gazed over the big blue lake that was shimmering in front of her in the light of the sun. Maybe she just needed a nice swim to make her depression go away. And, anyway, she'd found a clue that _may_ lead to her origin, at yesterday afternoon. Wasn't that something to celebrate?

She'd taken off her clothes and laid them on a huge boulder when she heard something land on the grass-covered ground. She looked down and saw that it was the pair of matching golden gemstones. She picked it up and just stared at it for a moment.

It was the key to her mysterious origin shrouded in the veils. The key to her origin was in her hand, but she didn't know how to use it.

Suddenly, anger flared up inside her, and an urge to throw the pair of matching gemstones as far as possible grasped her. She forced herself to not to throw while gripping them tightly.

"Don't throw it away, Ahri," she told herself through clenched teeth, "it's a foolish thing to do. You're not a foolish child, you're a grown woman. Act like one!"

The urge dissipated, and she placed it under her clothes on the boulder before the urge could come back.

Then, she slowly walked into the lake while feeling the cool water touching her skin and, before she knew it, it was surrounding her body.

she swam to the middle of the big lake and just floated there, while she stared up at the clear-blue sky above.

Suddenly, two birds flew through the sky, chirping happily while chasing one another.

They suddenly reminded Ahri of her dead lover. Ahri just stared at them until they flew off while the feeling of loneliness and grief started to bloom from the depths of her heart.

Ahri used to frolic in lakes like this one with her dead lover while splashing each other with water. And in one of these lakes, she had killed him.

She still remembered it. Her despair and lust clashing each other while she held her lover in her arms. She could still remember her lover's eyes staring into hers, urging her to devour his life essence until he died.

Her loneliness and grief devoured her from the inside, as she started to sink into the lake.

Deeper and deeper she went, while her eyes were still staring up at the blue sky, now through the lake's water.

Maybe it would be much better for her to die now, bringing end to her misery and the unbearable pain. Maybe she could just drown here. And maybe, she could meet her lover once again in the afterlife.

Ahri closed her eyes as her back touched the bottom of the lake.

Maybe, just maybe, she could feel bliss.

Suddenly, she felt something touching her face.

She opened her eyes and gasped when she saw her dead lover touching her face with his fingers. He was smiling as he grabbed her by the hands, and he started to pull her up from the bottom.

She wriggled violently from shock and horror, but before she could open her mouth to ask a question, her face broke the surface of the lake. She gasped for breath while looking around wildly. But her dead lover was nowhere in sight.

Was it a dream? Was her loneliness taunting her by showing her a vision of her dead lover? She stopped looking around and just floated in the middle of the lake in confusion with only her head exposed to the air.

For a moment, she felt someone looking at her from behind. When she looked back, no one was there, but she strongly believed in her instinct and started to swim across the lake toward direction where she'd felt someone's gaze.

When she walked out of the lake, she noticed that the person who'd stared at her was near the boulder that she'd put her clothes on. She started to put on her clothes quickly to track the person down and saw to her horror that her pair of matching gemstones were gone!

Then, she saw that there were grasses that were trampled on by someone. She started to follow the visible track that the person who'd watched her left behind him or her.

At that moment, she didn't know that by following this person, her life would be changed forever. She didn't know that she would feel happiness once again and, more importantly, she didn't know that she would find true love.


	23. Special EP:4-5

**(A/N)**

 **Hey guys . . . I made a mistake. Jeffric is actually 19 this year in the alternative universe. I wrote the wrong number at the Special EP: 4. Whoops. And, this episode is episode 4.5 because it's too short to be episode 5. Plus, I wrote this to celebrate my birthday (which is today).**

 **Now, I'm ready to continue writing the main storyline, so be prepared everyone!**

 **P.S. Happy birthday to me!**

* * *

Ahri tiptoed into Jeffric's room after opening the door quietly.

She was holding her smartphone and was recording a video.

"This is Ahri, and I'm here to surprise Jeffric, my . . . friend who's staying at my house," Ahri whispered while looking at her smartphone's camera lens excitedly. "Why am I going to surprise him? Well, because today's his birthday! And, I'm going to birthday punch him!"

Then she made a confused face.

"Wait, why am I recording this? I'm not even going to post it somewhere . . ."

She shrugged after thinking for a while and started to approach Jeffric's bed quietly like a fox on prey.

She placed her smartphone on a small table that was located next to his bed and adjusted it to record the video perfectly to show Jeffric after the 'surprise'.

She laughed softly while looking down at Jeffric's who was still sleeping peacefully, not knowing what was going to happen to him.

She slowly extended her hands toward Jeffric who was mumbling something about Ahri.

"Ahri . . . why are you . . . holding a mini gun . . . ?" Jeffric mumbled sleepily while dreaming about Ahri holding a mini gun.

"Because I'm going destroy you!" Ahri exclaimed and grabbed Jeffric, flipped him over on the bed, making his face press onto his pillow, and started to slap his back with her hands.

"Wha—?!" Jeffric yelled in surprise.

"Happy birthday, Jeffric!" Ahri exclaimed. "Time for some birthday punches!"

"They're not punches! They're slaps!" Jeffric exclaimed while wriggling on his bed, trying in vain to escape from Ahri's birthday 'punches'.

After a minute of birthday 'punches', Ahri finally stopped, and Jeffric lay on his bed while twitching because of his aching back. He looked as if he was electrocuted.

"My back . . ." Jeffric moaned weakly while pressing his hand on his aching back.

"Well, I have to say that I'm really good at recording videos," Ahri said while checking the video on her smartphone to see if she'd had recorded it without any mistakes.

"Did you just record all of that?" Jeffric asked weakly. "Not fair, Ahri . . ."

"The word isn't fair, little guy," Ahri said while winking at him. Then, she hoisted him up from the bed with both of her arms with ease (because Jeffric was so light) and started to carry him toward the door. "Now, let's eat some cake, shall we?"

"Yeah, cake," Jeffric cheered faintly while still feeling pain on his back. If his back wasn't so painful, he would've jumped around happily because he never ate a cake before in his life. But he still felt happy nonetheless.


	24. Chapter 16

"Mmmph! A-Ahri . . . oh! P-Please S-Sto— Ah!" I moaned while Ahri pressed her elbow onto my back.

I was lying on the cave floor while my chest was pressed onto it and Ahri was sitting on my back while giving me a back massage.

Ok, I think I should tell you why we were in the position . . .

* * *

It was morning when I woke up. I left my bed and started to stretch my arms upwards. Then, I arched my back backwards (to stretch) and started to lean to left side then to the right side.

I was doing that for a while when suddenly, without warning, I felt my back muscle explode with pain.

I covered my mouth with both of my hands to not scream because Ahri was sleeping on her bed, but I couldn't hold it back.

"Ouch!"

Ahri instantly woke up and jumped out of her bed like a startled animal.

"What is it? What's going on?!"

Then, Ahri saw me rolling on the ground while I was pressing both of my hands on my back.

"M-My back," I whimpered while trying not to cry.

The pain on my back was so unbearable that for a moment I thought that my old wounds caused by my dad's whip opened up again.

"Does it hurt that much?" Ahri asked in a concerned voice.

"Yeah . . ." I croaked.

I writhed on the ground while my long brown hair was getting tangled with the leaves on the ground.

"Hmm . . . I think I could do something about it," Ahri said, and I heard slyness in her voice.

"W-what can you do?" I asked her while (for some reason) my body started to tremble.

Then, suddenly, I felt something sit on my back. Then I realized what was happening.

Ahri was sitting on my back!

"A-Ahri . . .?" I asked in surprise.

"Stay still, Jeffric," Ahri cooed, and I felt her hands grab my shoulders, "I'm just going to give you a massage, that's all."

"W-Wha—?" I felt my cheeks blush like crazy and I tried to stand up. "A-Ahri, that's n-not necessary!"

But Ahri pinned me on the cave ground with her hands.

"Relax _Iminha_ , it's all going to be fine," Ahri said reassuringly. Then, I felt her lean toward my right ear. "I mean, Jeffirc," she whispered seductively into my ear. "Don't you . . . trust me?"

Before I could do anything, I suddenly felt . . . a pleasuring sensation on my back.

"Ah!"

Ahri pressed her thumbs onto my back hard several times.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

"Yeah . . . mmph! . . . it feels good . . ." I said while trying to suppress my moans. But it was useless.

Then, she started to press her palms onto my back, and I felt more pleasuring sensation on my back. It felt as if all the pleasures in the world was pressing onto my back.

"Ahh . . . yes . . . Ah!" I rolled my eyes in pleasure while sticking out my tongue.

And that was how it happened.

It went like this for a half a minute.

"A-Ahri, I think it's enough," I said while panting uncontrollably.

Ahri stopped massaging my back and she stood up.

"How do you feel?" I heard her ask.

"G-Great," I said.

I slowly stood up. My cheeks were still red, and my heart was still thumping quickly.

 _Why do I blush a lot these days?_ I asked myself.

"T-Thank you . . . Ahri," I whispered while staring at her feet.

"You're welcome," Ahri said, and I swore that I'd heard giddiness in her voice. Maybe it was just my imagination.

"By the way, do you know that we first met exactly three hundred sixty-four days ago?"

I looked up while my eyes grew wide in surprise.

"Really?!" I asked her in disbelief.

She nodded while smiling down at me.

"Time goes by quickly, _Iminha_ ," Ahri said while patting my head, and this time, I swore that I'd heard sadness in her voice.

"Then that means my birthday had passed one or two weeks ago," I mumbled to myself thoughtfully.

Ahri looked at me with question in her eyes.

"Wait . . . your birthday has already passed?" Ahri asked in disbelief.

I nodded. "I ran off from my home a week after my birthday and met you almost a week later."

"I'm sorry . . ."

I looked at Ahri, who was looking down at the ground with a sad expression on her face, and her fox ears were drooping.

 _Why's she suddenly sad?_ I thought in bewilderment.

Then I realized why.

"Uhh . . . you don't have to feel sad about not knowing my birthday, Ahri," I said reassuringly, "I don't mind about my birthday, anyway."

She perked up. "Why don't you mind about your birthday?" she asked in a confused voice.

"Well . . . because nobody celebrated my birthday in my life," I said while shrugging.

"Oh . . . umm . . . ok," Ahri said uncertainly.

* * *

Ahri was still thinking about Jeffric while she was walking through the forest to breath fresh air.

 _He never had a proper birthday . . ._ Ahri thought while looking up at the sky through the tree branches.

Of course, she never had a birthday because she didn't know when it was. She wanted to do something for him, but she didn't know what to do. She felt as if something was stuck in her mind and she couldn't get it out.

She walked until she'd reached a small lake.

She sat down at the edge of the lake and looked down at the clear water. Her reflection stared back, and it'd a thoughtful expression on its face.

"What am I going to do . . . ?" Ahri asked her reflection.

Just then, she felt something behind her.

She whirled around but saw only trees. But her instinct told her that there was something . . .

She stood up slowly and started to walk toward the trees while looking around for any signs of danger.

But after some minutes of looking around, she saw nothing.

 _I think I should go back . . ._

* * *

I was drawing a painting of a tree while whistling happily.

At the village, the woman (who gave me the painting materials) let me trade my paintings at her stall. And I'd brought new things to the cave, like a copper mirror, a small table that was carved beautifully, a mechanical bird (which came from a faraway land) that could move by turning around a clockwork, and other small objects like polished stones, marbles, and etc.

Now, I was drawing the small branches of the tree when I heard something outside of the cave.

"Help me!"

I froze completely.

It was a man's voice.

 _Somebody's in danger!_

Suddenly, a memory of myself screaming for help while being chased by other kids in my village hit me hard. My younger self was crying miserably because that I'd known that nobody would help me while the kids were catching up.

I shook my head violently to get the memory out of my mind and stood up quickly and dropped the brush that I was holding.

"I'm coming!" I yelled and started to run toward the entrance while desperation filled my heart.

Was the man ok? Was the man in a grave danger.

When I ran out of the cave entrance, I saw a man who was sitting on his knees while looking down at the ground.

"What's wrong?" I asked while approaching him.

When he looked up, I froze because I'd recognized him.

"W-Wait a—"

Suddenly I felt someone approaching from my side, and before I could do anything, something struck me really hard, and I crumpled onto the ground while darkness swallowed me whole.

* * *

Ahri walked toward the cave while still trying to get the uneasy feeling off her.

 _It was nothing_ , Ahri told herself mentally. _It was just your mind playing tricks on you._

Ahri walked until she'd reached the entrance of the cave.

"Jeffric, how's your painting going?" Ahri called out.

There was no answer.

"Jeffric?"

No answer.

Panic suddenly filled Ahri, and she ran into the cave.

Jeffric wasn't in there.

 _Where is he?_

Then, she saw the painting that Jeffric was working on the cave ground. And, she realized that the leaves on the ground were scattered, as if someone'd ran out of the cave . . .

She ran out of the cave quickly and stopped just in front of the entrance, and she looked down on the dirt ground and saw that there was a long mark, which looked as if someone or something was dragged across it . . .

And, she saw a piece of paper next to the drag mark.

She slowly picked it up from the ground. There was nothing on the paper, but when she turned it around, she froze.

 _If you want to see the boy again, come back to the lake._

Her legs suddenly gave out beneath her. She dropped the piece of paper onto the ground as she fell onto her knees while starting to tremble in panic.

"No . . ." Ahri cried out, fear ringing in her voice, "this can't be happening . . ."


	25. Chapter 17

I was in a dark place, but not the landscape of darkness where I'd met my . . . evil side.

No, I wasn't in a place. I was floating in a dark space.

"Where am I?" I asked no one.

"Good question," a deep voice answered from behind me.

I whirled around and saw that a figure in long dark hood was floating behind me.

The figure was almost camouflaged, except for the fact that a red light was glowing from underneath his hood. He looked like the incarnation of death.

"W-Who're you?" I asked while trying to step backwards, which didn't work for some reason.

"I'd a name once," he said, "but I'd forgotten about it."

His voice was deep as a dark ocean, as if it was filled with mysteries and secrets of thousands of years.

"But I only remember one name," the figure continued, "and it was . . . the Devourer of Souls."

Then, he took off his hood, and my eyes grew wide in horror.

"And I'm the one who'd created the power that now you have in your body."

The figure didn't have a head. Instead, dark and red flames were flaring up where a human's head should've been.

"You're the one who'd created that magical orb?!" I asked him in disbelief.

"Yes," he answered, "and I'm here to warn you."

"Warn me about what?"

I felt his eyes staring straight into my eyes, even though he didn't have any eyes. "Have you ever heard about the Rune Wars?"

I thought for a moment.

I think I'd heard several stories about those wars . . .

Then I remembered.

"Rune Wars was . . . umm . . . the war when magicians used the World Runes against each other for . . . power and it ravaged the landscapes of Runeterra, right?"

He nodded. "Because of the Rune Wars, I lost my lover."

He was quiet for a moment, as if he was thinking a painful memory.

"Umm . . . I'm sorry to hear that," I said tentatively.

"She and many were killed by one of the mages who owned a World Rune when he fought and won against another mage that owned another World Rune . . . and I'd decided to create something much more powerful than the World Runes themselves to avenge my lover's death."

Then, he leaned closer to me, making my skin feel the heat of the flames. "Do you know that hatred could devour . . . anything? Even the gods themselves?"

I shook my head while sweat trickled down my spine.

"Well," he floated backwards, the burning feeling now gone from my skin. "I'd decided to use hatred to get my revenge."

He turned around and looked out at the endless dark space like a person who was staring out at the vast ocean of nothingness. "I could use magic back then. So, I'd created the magical orb that consumed the life essence of dead creatures filled with hatred."

"So . . . basically . . . it consumes angry souls?"

He nodded (yes, the flaring flames nodded). "I'd to make it consume them at night to not get caught by that mage. Night after night, I'd let it consume the hatred-filled life essence while walking across the ravaged landscape made by the two mages with the World Runes. It was easy, because everyone's life essence was filled with hatred. The hatred against the murders that'd caused their deaths. Even the animals had hatred in their life essence. When the orb had gained enough power, I challenged the mage."

He turned to face me. "And I killed him with all the hatred of the people and animals he'd killed. But the hatred 'overwhelmed' me in the process."

He gestured at himself. "All the hatred burned my entire being, as if it wanted to devour hatred-filled humans as well as hatred-filled life essence, and before the orb could devour me entirely, I'd hidden it in one of the deepest caves of Ionia. Now, for centuries, I'd been stuck here amongst other creatures' hatred-filled life essence, fading away slowly while blocking its desire to devour hatred-filled humans."

"But now . . . the orb is inside my body?" I asked cautiously.

He nodded. "I'd blocked it for a long time, but one day, it was drawn to you when you were sleeping in the cave entrance. I tried everything to stop it, but it went into your body no matter what. Now, I'm blocking the orb from devouring you."

Then he stopped for a moment. Then, he continued, this time with concern in his deep voice. "But one day, an entity started trying to . . . control the orb, as if he wants to use it on something. I don't know what it is, but whatever it is, I'd sensed its determination and rage like fire burning my entire body."

He shivered when he said that, as if he could still feel it.

"Please, stop that entity before it controls the orb entirely. Or else, it might destroy this world with centuries worth of souls full of hatred.

Then, everything exploded in a bright light.

* * *

I opened my eyes.

"What's happening . . . ?" I asked myself while trying to rub my eyes with my hands. Then, I felt my arms getting detained by something.

I turned my head to look behind and saw that I was tied to a tree. A rope so tightly tied around my arms that they were starting to ache.

"Nothing's happening," a gruff voice answered.

I looked toward the direction where the voice had come from and saw a familiar face.

"You're—!"

"The one who tried to kill you and take your friend a year ago blah blah," the burly man whom me and Ahri had met a year before answered while waving his hand nonchalantly as if the fact was nothing important. He was smiling as if everything was going as he'd wanted.

Then I remembered.

This was the same man who I'd seen outside the cave before I was knocked unconscious.

"What do you want?!" I yelled at him while panic started to seize control of me.

 _How did he find me?! I thought Ahri had scared them away back then . . ._

"Oh, nothing," the burly man said while yawning, "we just want your friend, that's all."

"Y-You can't have h-her!" I yelled back while trying to sound brave even though my stuttering was getting worse. "I-I-I won't let you!"

"Oh, really?" the man asked in a mock surprise. "But how're you going to do that?"

"I . . . uh . . . um . . ."

"Hey lads!" the man yelled. "This scrawny kid won't let us take his precious friend."

Then, all the bandits standing around the tree that I'd been tied to started to laugh.

I hadn't noticed them before now. They were all hiding under bushes or behind other trees before crawling or walking out to stand around and laugh at me.

I looked around while the bandits kept on laughing . . . at me.

Suddenly, the world became dark around me, and the bandits started to grow taller and change to people that I recognize.

In front of my eyes, the bandits had changed into the kids back in my village. The kids who made my life a living hell. Then, they were back to being bandits. They kept on changing between being bandits or the kids in my village who bullied me while the world kept on being dark, as if misery had devoured the skies.

Their laughter started to change back and forth from the gruff laughter of the bandits to the gleeful laughter and cackles of teenagers, and the laughter became louder and louder.

"This can't be real . . ." I whispered to myself while my heart started to fill with the familiar sensation of animalistic fear that I hadn't felt for almost a year. "This must be a hallucination . . ."

I struggle to rise up and run, faraway as possible, but the rope held me in place, not letting me flee from this nightmarish hallucination.

"Heh, this kid is scared as hell, lads!" the first man said before turning into a pudgy boy with black hair and small brown eyes. His mouth was contorted into an ugly sneer and his eyes were gleaming with madness.

And I recognized the boy.

"Terian . . ." I whispered so quietly that I almost didn't know that I'd whispered at all. "No . . . this can't be happening . . ."

Terian looked around at the other bandits who were changing from being kids back in the village to bandits again and again, their voices changing back and forth. "Lads, let's prepare . . . to 'greet' the nine-tailed fox, shall we?"

Then, he sneered down at me, changing into Terian again, the familiar face making series of sweat trickle down my spine.

"Don't worry, boy," Terian said, then he turned back into the burly man, "we're just going to sell your friend to slavery."

Then, he turned and walked away.

I squeezed my eyes shut while tears of pure terror trickled down my cheeks.

"Ahri," I whimpered, "please help me . . ."

* * *

Ahri was hiding behind one of the bushes, while looking at the bandits who were trying to hide behind trees or bushes.

Jeffric was tied to a tree, in front of the lake that she'd looked down at to see her reflection just ten minutes ago.

And even from this distance, she could see tears trickle down his cheeks.

"Don't worry, _Iminha_ ," Ahri whispered while staring at the tied boy, "I'll save you . . ."


	26. Chapter 18

A bandit was leaning behind a tree while staring at the direction where the cave was located.

That vastaya will come from that direction and he and his companions were ready to capture her.

And, they'd prepared something.

"She won't have any chances," the bandit mumbled while smiling to himself.

"What chances?" a voice asked in a small voice from behind.

Before the bandit could react, he felt pain explode on his head, and everything became dark.

* * *

Ahri was standing over the knock-ed out bandit while grabbing a stone tightly in her left hand.

She needed to stealthily knockout many bandits as possible.

 _But why not just kill them?_ Her mind asked.

Ahri shook her head.

 _Because I'd promised myself that I'll never kill humans again . . ._ she answered her mind.

Then, she dropped to the ground and started to crawl toward the next place where she'd seen a bandit was hiding.

Thanks to the forest being so dense with trees, she was able to knock out five bandits now without being spotted.

There were more bandits than before. There were only six bandits almost a year ago, but now, it seemed that there were more than twenty.

She snuck up behind another bandit and whacked his head with the rock as hard as possible.

He instantly crumpled onto the ground without making a sound.

"Hey, who's that?!" a voice yelled from somewhere from her right.

She quickly looked at the direction where she'd heard the voice and saw a bandit pointing his finger at her from behind a boulder.

She was spotted.

She darted toward the bandit while drawing magic from the world around her and forming it into a destructive orb in her hand.

She saw the bandit's eyes growing wide underneath his cloak before she flung it at him.

It hit the bandit in the chest, and he flew back and landed on the ground, knocked out cold.

She heard bandits yelling at each other.

"Where did she come from?!"

"I don't know! Just capture her!"

She turned around and saw three bandits running toward her with weapons in their hands.

She formed destructive orbs as fast as possible and threw them at the three bandits.

The bandits instantly crumpled onto the ground upon impact while fainting instantly by the pain.

A bandit jumped at her while bringing his wooden club upwards to bring it down on her head from behind her.

She skipped sideways, dodging the wooden club and she kicked him in the jaw with her foot.

The bandit yelped and fell onto the ground while clutching his chin.

Then, she dashed toward the tree where Jeffric, who was trembling, was tied up to while dodging blows from the bandits that attacked her.

She'd reached the boy and quickly sliced the rope that tied him to the tree with her rock.

" _Iminha_ , I'm here!" Ahri said while dropping the sliced rope and the rock onto the ground. "Are you alright?"

* * *

I heard yells from somewhere, but I couldn't see where it was coming from.

The world around me kept on changing from normal to being dark, and back to normal again.

I was still trembling because I was still scared of seeing Terian's face again.

Coldness overwhelmed me while I still trembled with fear.

Suddenly, I felt the rope that tied to me the tree falling down around me.

Then, I heard a familiar and a welcoming voice speaking to me.

" _Iminha_ , I'm here! Are you alright?"

I looked up and saw Ahri standing over me with a really worried expression on her face.

"A-Ahri?" I asked in surprise.

"I'm here to get you out of here," Ahri said while pulling me up quickly. "We need to run, now!"

"Not so fast, girl!" I heard someone yelling at us and turned to see the bandits standing a short distance away from us amongst the dense trees of the forest, changing from being bandits to being kids back in the village and back to being bandits.

The burly man was grinning before changing into Terian again.

"Lads," Terian said while looking behind at the kids back in my village, "unleash 'them'."

Five bandits nodded, turned around, and ran into the forest, disappearing amongst the leaves and the tree trunks.

Now, six, including the burly man, was left standing.

"Now," Terian looked at me and Ahri again and changed back to the burly man, "back to business."

I was frozen with fear because of the shock of seeing Terian again. I was trembling more than before, and cold sweat was trickling down my forehead.

" _Iminha_ ," Ahri said while grabbing my right hand, "we need to run, now!"

She started to run while dragging me by my hand to a random direction.

"Get them!" the burly man yelled at his comrades, and I heard them starting to chase us, their feet making sounds on the grass-covered ground.

We ran and ran, running past trees after trees.

We heard them chasing us through the trees and bushes behind us. But something wasn't right. The sounds were getting fainter as if the bandits were slowing down.

Perhaps they were giving up?

Suddenly, I started to hear something running through the bushes around us.

I looked around while running and saw only blurs through the trees and bushes. They looked like animals, but I wasn't quite sure.

 _Wild animals?_ I thought in confusion.

Then, without warning, something pounced at us through the bushes in front of us.

"Look out!" Ahri yelled and skidded to a stop.

The something landed in front of us and started to growl, showing its long fangs.

It was a wolf.

Then, more wolves came out of the brushes. And before I could blink, they'd surrounded us.

The wolves were now prowling around us, their merciless blue eyes glaring at us as, making me feel colder inside. They were growling viciously, fangs glinting in the faint light of the sun that'd made through the leaves and branches above.

"Th-This doesn't look good . . ." I said in a frightened voice.

Then, I saw the bandits stepping out amongst the trees to stand behind the wolves.

We were completely surrounded.

"Well, you see, these wolves were trained to their limits," the burly man said, "so it won't be hard to catch you, vastaya!"

I looked around wildly while every bandit kept on changing to kids and back into bandits.

Even the wolves started to change.

In my eyes, the wolves changed to monsters that I'd seen in my nightmares when I was young and back into being wolves.

The monsters were a mess of eyes, grinning mouths, and human hands that had claws growing out of the fingers. And everything about them was dark, dark as the darkest night.

Now, sweat was pouring down my body like rain while my heart felt as if it was frozen. My mind felt as if it was churning into a turmoil as if it couldn't comprehend the insanity happening around me.

The only thing that was holding me back from getting insane was Ahri's hand grabbing mine. It was the only anchor that anchored me to sanity.

* * *

Ahri glanced sideways at Jeffric while still holding his hand.

Jeffric looked . . . more than haunted, with his eyes wide open in terror, his clothes drenched in cold sweat, and he was trembling uncontrollably.

Then, she looked around at the bandits and the wolves that were surrounding her and Jeffric while forming a destructive orb in her hand.

"Don't come closer, you monsters!" she yelled and threw the orb at the nearest wolf.

It instantly hit, and the wolf collapsed onto the ground.

"You might be strong," the burly man said while patting a large wolf that was next to him, "but you will fall."

The large wolf looked to be the pack leader, with its scarred face and long fangs. And its eyes were staring right at her as if they were trying to pierce her with the glare.

"Kill the boy," the burly man said to the wolf, "but don't kill the vastaya, but you may hurt her a little if she gets in the way."

The wolf raised its head to the sky and howled as if it'd acknowledged him.

The other wolves howled too and started to close in on her and the boy with their fangs bared.

Ahri formed more magical orbs in her hands and started to throw them at the wolves in panic.

But when she'd thrown the third orb, she felt a sharp pain explode on her back.

She screamed and fell onto the ground while she felt blood trickle down her back. But she didn't let go of Jeffric's hand.

"Give up, girl!" the burly man yelled in a taunting voice. "Just surrender yourself, and we'll let the boy die quickly."

"Never!" Ahri yelled back and hugged the boy tightly with both of her arms to shield him from the wolves and the bandits, even though it caused more pain to explode on her back. "I'll never let you hurt this boy even if it costs my life!"

* * *

Time stopped while reality started to crumble around me.

Now, only darkness filled the world while everything didn't move, and the bandits had permanently changed to the kids that'd bullied me back in my village, and the monsters from my old nightmares didn't change back into wolves. The dark world around me was tearing into bits and pieces, leaving behind dark voids where there was land.

The skies above started to shred themselves into pieces as if the gods were waging war in heaven.

The reality was tearing itself apart.

And Ahri . . .

She was hugging me tightly. A big slash wound was streaked across her back by one of the wolves' attack.

And blood was trickling down her clothes, like a river of hatred.

 _This can't be happening . . ._ I thought desperately while staring at the world around me, which was only filled with the things that I feared the most.

"Somebody please tell me that this is just a dream . . ." I whispered while tears started to trickle down my cheeks. "This can't . . . this can't be happening . . ."

Then, I clutched my head with both of my hands and shakily stepped back, tears falling onto the dark ground.

"I-I won't accept this . . ." I whispered while more tears trickled out of my eyes.

"I know you won't accept this," a voice whispered to me.

I looked around but saw no one.

"Wh-Who's there?!"

"Don't you want to save your friend?" the voice asked, ignoring my question. "And . . . don't you want to kill the things that'd caused your friend to feel pain?"

I looked at the monsters from my nightmares and the kids back in the village who were all frozen in time.

Suddenly, I started to feel something hot scorching from the depths of my soul, as if molten lava was rising upwards.

"Don't you want to shred them to pieces **for doing this to her?** " the voice asked, and it started to change from a normal human voice to a demonic one as if a demon in disguise was revealing its true form. **"Don't you want to feel their bodies turning into bloody bits and pieces?! Don't you want to hear them scream for mercy while you tear them apart?!"**

The hot feeling started to engulf me like lava was seeping out of my body and burning my skin.

My body started to tremble uncontrollably with something that I'd never felt before in my life.

Something burning.

Something scorching.

Then I realized what that feeling was.

I felt rage.

 **"Do it, Jeffric!"** the voice roared. **"Slice them, kill them, torture them until even their souls are diminished!"**

Then, the time unfroze, everything around me started to move.

One of the monsters from my old nightmares pounced at me and Ahri, with its fangs bared, clawed hands outstretched.

 **"Reap—"** the voice said.

Suddenly, by instinct, I raised my left hand sharply at the monster, my hand clenched into a fist, and I closed my eyes, expecting the end.

But I felt nothing.

I slowly opened my eyes. When the scene struck me, my eyes grew wide in shock and fear.

Countless long dark spikes were protruding out of my hand and arm, all pierced through the monster in midair.

I unclenched my fist, and the long dark spikes mirrored the movements of my fingers.

The monster exploded, its blood flying everywhere while the pieces fell onto the ground.

 **"—and tear, Jeffric!"** the voice finished. **"Show them that you're a force to be reckoned with."**


	27. Chapter 19

_**(Warning! This chapter may be disturbing to some (many) readers. This chapter is more disturbing than chapter 13. You have been warned and please read this chapter with caution. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED)**_

Ahri was desperate.

Wolves and bandits were surrounding them and were trying to capture her and kill the boy.

She won't let it happen. She wasn't going to lose another person that was precious to her. No, not again . . .

She hugged the boy tightly in her arms, even though her back, where a wolf had clawed her, was exploding with pain.

Then, a wolf pounced, with its fangs bared and its eyes glaring straight at them.

Helplessness and fear filled her heart.

But something unexpected happened.

Jeffric had raised his left hand at the wolf, which was still in midair.

Before she could cry out a warning at the boy, she heard things piercing . . . flesh?

She blinked, trying to understand what just happened and finally realized.

Long dark spikes were protruding out of the boy's left hand and arm, all piercing through the wolf that was still in midair.

Her jaw dropped open, but no sound came out.

His hand was clutched into a fist, and when he unclenched his fist, the spikes mirrored the movements of his fingers.

The wolf exploded into bits and pieces, blood splattering everywhere.

Ahri stared at the pieces of the wolf on the ground in a mixture of shock and horror. Then, she looked at Jeffric and her heart dropped.

Jeffric's green eyes . . . Jeffric's beautiful green eyes . . . were now burning with black flames while their center glowed red.

Before she could do anything, Jeffric stood up, the dark spikes contracting back into his hand and arm, and stepped forward.

* * *

Rage was burning me, ravaging my mind like flames burning a forest.

The reality was crumbling more around me while my eyes started to feel as if they were being burned too. The monsters from my old nightmare and the boys back in my village stepped backward, their eyes growing big in fear when they saw me standing up.

For years, back in my village, I was always got beaten by the boys, always fear to loom over me like a merciless god.

Now, it was different.

Now, they feared me.

"How dare you . . . ?" I whispered at them while staring straight at Terian, who was trembling violently while falling onto his behind in fear.

The image of Ahri's bloody wound on her back filled my mind, and I felt the rage devour itself out of my mind.

" **How dare you?!"** I screamed, my voice starting to match the voice of the being that talked to me.

A foolish boy ran at me while raising his rake to strike me down on my head.

I gritted my teeth and grabbed the rake with my left hand before it could hit my head and dug my fist into the boy's stomach. Dark spikes were protruding out of my fist, and they pierced through the boy's stomach, the tips out at the other side.

I pulled back my right fist, pulling the spikes out with it.

Dark liquid started to pour out of the hole on the boy as if his tainted soul was bleeding sin.

The boy started to gargle out the dark liquid out of his mouth too while staring at me with a horrified expression on his face.

I grabbed his dying body with both of my hands, raised him into the air, and threw him at Terian with a strength that I never knew that I had.

The body hit him before he could get out of his shock. He fell backward while yelping in surprise, the body pinning him to the ground.

"K-K-Kill him!" Terian yelled desperately at the other kids. "Or I'll make the wolves devour you!"

The guys around me looked at one another in desperation. Then, they ran at me all at once while screaming in terror.

Before I knew what was happening, I was slicing everybody with the spikes that were now growing out of my hands, arms, and even my shoulders while rage empowered me like a hearth filled with lava and oak.

I thrashed around, screaming in anger, the spikes slicing the kids that'd bullied me in my village and the monsters from my old nightmares into pieces while my vision was filled with blurred images of body parts and dark liquids falling everywhere.

I felt something nagging at the back of my mind, trying to remind me something important, but I was blinded by my rage to care.

Before long, only Terian was left, still lying on the ground in shock.

I started to walk toward him my rage growing by every step, remembering what he'd done to me for years.

He was the leader of the bullies and he was one of the reasons that made my life hell.

"N-No!" he yelled in desperation. "D-Don't—"

He tried to move backward, but I stomped his chest with my right foot, hard, not letting him run away.

I remembered him encouraging the kids to tease and beat me, spitting at me, pushing me around, and grabbing me by my hair and dragging me to a lake near my village and throwing me into its cold depths.

His usual smug face was now filled with terror.

"P-P-Please, have mercy on me!" he begged while staring up at me with wild eyes.

I couldn't believe it.

Why was he expecting mercy from me when _he_ ignored me when _I_ was begging for mercy?

When I heard his plea, something snapped inside me.

" **You want mercy?!"** I yelled at him. Then I gritted my teeth while forming my right hand into a spiky fist.

" **Too bad."**

I started to bash Terian's face with both of my spiky fists while screaming like a banshee until my throat got hoarse.

Blow after blow, Terian's face started to shatter and break while dark liquid spewed everywhere.

With my final strength, I bashed his face for the last time.

Terian didn't move.

I started to wheeze from screaming so loudly.

" **Well done,** _ **pal**_ **,"** the voice told me. **"Well done indeed . . ."**

Then, the voice started to laugh like a maniac and the world around me started to change.

The burning sensation from my body, including my eyes, and my rage started to subside while I blinked in confusion.

The world started to gain its color again while the torn reality around me started to form back into one. After blinking only two times, the world had changed back into its usual self.

I looked down in confusion and froze dead cold when I saw the most horrifying thing that I'd ever seen.

I was standing over the dead body of the burly man.

Then I realized what that nagging feeling that I'd felt before was.

It was the horror of killing.

I looked around wildly and saw that there were severed body parts of the bandits and wolves lying on the ground, blood spilled everywhere, and guts—

I looked down at my body and saw that I was covered head to toe with blood. My clothes were covered with so much blood that it started to seep through my clothes and onto my skin.

I started to tremble with dread.

Finally, after I stared at my blood covered hands, I realized something.

I'd committed murder.

Suddenly, something started stirring in my stomach. Then, I fell onto the ground and started to retch on the ground while the images of the gruesome scenes that I'd made filled my vision.

Tears started to roll down my cheeks while I kept on retching, my body trembling violently from the sick feelings of blood covering my face and body.

 _What have I done . . . ?_ I thought in despair. _What have I done?_

I opened my mouth to say something or to scream, but no sound came out.

Then, the world started to spin around me. I started to lose my balance and I fell sideways onto the ground and everything started to grow dark.

Before I fainted, one last dreadful thought went through my head.

 _What would Ahri think of me . . . ?_

* * *

Ahri stared at horror at Jeffric who was now lying sideways on the ground, not moving a single muscle.

Ahri still couldn't believe what she'd just seen.

Jeffric had gone full berserk and slaughtered the bandits and the wolves with the countless dark spikes that'd grown out of his arms, hands, and his shoulders. And now, after retching, he'd collapsed on the ground when he got back to his senses and found out that he'd committed murder.

Ahri stood up quickly and ran toward the unconscious boy. She quickly lifted him up with both of her arms, carrying him like a baby, and ran quickly toward the lake, the thoughts of cleaning the boy only in her mind.

She stopped in front of the lake and started to slowly walk into it.

She ignored the cold water starting to fill her shoes and went deeper until the water reached her abdomen.

She gently lowered Jeffric into the water of the lake, making the blood on his old tattered tunic wash away.

She started to wipe the boy's face with her right hand while still holding him with her left to get the blood off his face.

Suddenly, tears fell from Ahri's eyes and landed on Jeffric's face.

She was suddenly filled with grief that this innocent boy had to experience this cruel thing.

She knew how it feels like to take another person's life and the guilt that settles over after that. She didn't know why the dark spikes came out of Jeffric's hands and arms and why his eyes were burning with dark fires, but she knew how he'd feel like when he wakes up.

If she was stronger, maybe he wouldn't have gone berserk and slaughtered the bandits and the wolves.

After Ahri cleaned Jeffric, she walked out of the lake, still carrying Jeffric in her arms while walking through the scene of the slaughter.

"I'm so sorry, Jeffric . . ." Ahri whispered sadly at the unconscious boy. "I'm so, so sorry . . ."

She kept on walking until they reached the cave, and Ahri walked in, stopped in front of the boy's bed.

She gently placed the unconscious boy on his bed and sat down, staring at his face.

 _I hope he's alright . . ._ Ahri thought.

* * *

I was falling. Falling down, down, down deeper into an endless hole of darkness, the air hitting my back.

" **You're such a miserable person, Jeffric,"** the voice told me, his voice ringing everywhere in the hole while I was falling.

I desperately tried to grab onto the wall, but they were smooth as ice, so it was impossible.

" **Never been loved,"** the voice jeered at me, **"never been cherished."**

I covered my ears with my hands, trying to block out the voice, but the voice pierced through them.

" **Don't try to avoid what's true, Jeffric!"** the voice yelled at me. **"Because you can't."**

"Stop . . . please stop . . ." I begged, but he didn't listen.

" **You finally found a person who cares about you,"** the voice said slyly, **"I wonder what she'd think about you after she saw you slaughtering those wolves and bandits!"**

"I-It wasn't my fault!" I sobbed and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to stop the tears that were trying to come out. "Y-You made me—!"

" **Oh, so it's** _ **my fault**_ **?"** the voiced asked me mockingly **. "Jeffric, I'm you. You're blaming yourself, foolish brat! She will think that you're a murderous monster, anyway, so there's no need to point fingers!"**

"Stop," I whispered.

" **The friend of yours will think that you're some kind of a demonic boy that slaughters people for fun,"** the voice continued, **"and she will leave you, and you will be all alone again, like before."**

"S-Stop . . ."

" **All alone, left in the dark, no one at your side, except the darkness."**

I started to feel something wet on my hands. I opened my eyes and saw to my horror that my hands were now wet with blood.

" **No one at your side. No one.** _ **No one**_ **. . ."**

I cried out and tried desperately to get the blood off, but more blood started to splatter onto my body.

" **Who'd like a monster like you?"** the voice asked. **"Look at yourself. You're covered in the blood of your victims . . ."**

"Ahri . . . please help me . . ." I whispered while stretching out my blood-covered hand upwards in the air, while I fell faster and faster.

* * *

Ahri was in the middle of pressing the cloak that she'd taken from the bandits almost a year ago on the back where the claw marks, which were starting to bleed less, were to stop it completely from bleeding when Jeffirc started to groan while stretching his right hand into the air as if trying to grasp something to prevent from falling.

"Ahri . . . please help me . . ." Jeffric murmured sleepily.

Ahri looked at him in surprise.

Was he having a nightmare?

Ahri gently grabbed the boy's hand with both of hers, dropping the cloak on the ground.

"It's ok, _Iminha_ ," Ahri said softly, "I'm here."


	28. Chapter 20

I was still falling when I felt a familiar warmth starting to spread on my hand.

I stared at it in bewilderment and saw that the blood smeared on it was starting to evaporate into thin air.

 **"What's happening?"** the voice spoke in bewilderment. **"This can't be . . ."**

The warmth started to engulf my whole arm as I started to fall slower and slower.

 **"She . . . she didn't leave him . . . ?"** the voice asked to himself in surprise. Then, he howled in frustration. **"How stubborn is this woman?!"**

Now, I'd stopped falling completely, and the warmth was engulfing my whole body.

And I realized where I'd felt this warmth before.

"Ah-Ahri . . . ?" I whispered while looking at my right hand in half happiness and half surprise.

 _Is she holding my hand right now?_ I asked myself mentally. _Is that why I'm feeling her warmth?_

Then, my vision started to fill with warm and bright light, as if I was getting closer and closer to the sun.

 **"Someday, Jeffric,"** the voice said to me hurriedly, **"someday, even if you don't want to, the time will come."**

"Wh-what time?" I asked the voice while the light filled most of my vision.

 **"You'll see,"** the voice snickered, **"you'll see . . ."**

Then, the light filled my vision completely.

* * *

Where was I?

From the looks of it, I was in a house and I was lying on something while looking up at a wooden ceiling.

Everything felt blissful and calm for some reason unknown to me. And everything in my sight looked . . . beautiful and harmless.

What was happening?

Why was I here?

I tried to stand up, but my legs felt a lot weaker than usual.

 _That's strange . . ._ I thought and raised my right hand up in the air, and when I saw my hand, I was really surprised.

My right hand turned from a bony and scrawny hand to a small, soft, pale, and pudgy hand.

It was the hand of a baby!

Then, I heard something approaching me from somewhere from my right.

 _What's that sound?_ I wondered.

Suddenly, a woman's face came into my view and my eyes grew wide in shock while my brain froze just for a second.

The woman had long brown hair and a pair of sparkling green eyes. She was smiling softly down at me, but behind her sparkling green eyes, I saw sorrow. And she'd a bruise around her left eye as if someone had punched her.

 _She . . . looks like . . . she looks like . . . me?!_

She carefully picked me up in her arms and started to rock me gently.

I saw a woman who was rocking a baby to sleep before in my life and I wondered how it felt like.

Now I knew.

It felt like as if a warm and gentle wind was touching my face and arms while I was looking out from a window.

She did this for some minutes and I started to feel sleepy.

That was when she started to sing.

The song was a blissful thing to hear, and it made my eyelids droopy. The lyrics and her voice combined into one, and a beautiful creation was made. I felt like crying in bitterness and smiling joyfully at the same time. Something about her voice made my emotions mix like two different paints combining to make a new color.

Before my eyes shut completely, she whispered something in my ear that shocked me completely.

"Be strong, my son," she said, "because there will be a day when you have to face your greatest fear . . ."

* * *

I opened my eyes, and I saw yet another ceiling. But this time, it was a ceiling of a cave that I knew really well.

I was still shocked. She called me 'son'? But that was impossible! I knew who my mother was and how she looked like. But the woman in my dream didn't even look like her. Then why did she called me 'son'?

Maybe it was an image of an ideal mother that I wanted instead of my real mother.

And what was that song?

I closed my eyes again, trying to remember the lyrics of the song that the woman sang to me, but they were gone before I could grasp them.

Suddenly, I realized that something was grasping my right hand when I tried to stand up.

I looked at my right hand and saw that Ahri, who was lying on the ground beside my bed, was holding my hand while snoring quietly.

I sniffed the air.

It smelled like morning, the steady breeze of morning wind blowing into the cave.

Suddenly Ahri started to stir when a breeze blew one of the dried leaves on the ground onto her face. Then, she opened her eyelids, revealing her golden pupils that stared up at me.

"Good morning, _Iminha_ ," Ahri said sleepily while standing up from the ground and sat on the edge of my bed, still holding my right hand. Then, she looked at me with a concerned expression on her face, as if she was worried about something. "Are you feeling alright after . . . after what happened yesterday . . . ?"

At first, my mind was blank. What happened yesterday . . . ?

Then, my mind suddenly remembered.

The images of yesterday's slaughter exploded into my mind and started to fill my vision. I remembered the scene when those dark spikes started to come out of my hands and arms, and when those things pierced through the bandits and the wolves. That was when I knew that I'll never forget about the horrible thing that I'd committed.

"Oh no . . ." I whispered while dread engulfed my heart like a predator grasping prey in its claws.

* * *

Ahri regretted asking Jeffric how he felt instantly when she saw the fear and dread filling the boy's vision while his face became paler than usual.

Why did she ask him about it? she should've kept her mouth shut!

She looked at his face and saw that he was about to cry. So, she did the only thing that she could do in this situation.

She hugged the boy in her arms, stopping him from crying with her warmth.

"I-I . . . I killed them . . ." he whispered. "Ahri . . . I killed them . . ."

She patted his back while hugging him more tightly.

"It's ok, Jeffric," she said soothingly while sadness tore her soul when she heard the pain in his voice. "You didn't do anything wrong . . ."

"But . . . I killed them!" Jeffric's voice sounded hoarse as if something died inside. "I'm a . . . I'm a murderer . . ."

"Please don't say that," Ahri said quietly. Then, she unwrapped her arms around him and placed both of her hands on his shoulders while staring into his eyes.

Jeffric was quiet now, not moving at all, while he looked hallow from shock. He looked like a corpse that was breathing. And his green eyes looked as if they were staring into oblivion, empty looking.

Now, he was staring back at her, and she saw guilt in his eyes.

"Jeffric, _Iminha_ ," Ahri said and she heard her voice trembling. "You're not a murderer. You just took action to protect me and yourself. That doesn't count as a . . . murder because if you didn't act right then and there, I would've been sold to slavery and you could have . . . died."

Suddenly, tears started to dribble out of her eyes. "So, don't think that you're a murderer, Jeffric," Ahri said, and her voice started to tremble. "A-Anybody would've killed them if they were in your shoes . . . And a kind and pure boy like you can't be a murderer . . . I-I won't allow it . . ."

More tears came out of her eyes and dribbled down her cheeks. She bowed her head, hiding her tears from the shocked boy who was now looking at her with concern.

 _Why was fate so cruel to this boy?_ Ahri thought in grief as her body shook while she sobbed. _Why did fate force this boy to walk in my footsteps . . . ? Why did fate force him to kill the bandits as I did to people to consume their life essence . . . ? Did we commit sin to experience this?_

She finally looked up again and tried to give a boy an assuring smile, still tears on her cheeks. "All I want to say is—" she said, "—that you did the only thing that you could do in that situation. So, please . . . don't be hard on yourself."

* * *

We just sat on my bed while staring at the wall of the cave while saying anything.

Then, my stomach growled.

"Are you hungry, _Iminha_?" Ahri asked me.

"Uhh . . . no . . ." I answered uncertainly.

My stomach started to growl more and more.

"There are some berries left," Ahri said and left the bed and brought back some wild berries. She handed me the berries and I started to eat them.

"Ahri . . . thank you . . . for everything," I said quietly after swallowing the berries in my mouth, "and . . . for not . . . hating me for what I've done yesterday."

"I will never hate you, Jeffirc," Ahri said in a sad voice while grabbing one of the berries in my hand and putting it in my mouth, "because I know that it was the only option that fate gave you in that situation."


	29. Announcement

Hey guys! I'm here to tell you that I'll start editing the previous chapters of this story. I read them and was like 'what in Runeterra?!" The grammar needs improvements (especially the chapters from the prologue to 10), so the next part would probably take some time to upload. But I'll try my best to update as soon as possible.

Thanks again for the awesome support and enjoy your day!

P.S. the next few parts will be Special Episodes :)


	30. Special EP:5

It was almost night time. I was lying on my bed, my stomach pressed onto my pillow. I was drawing something by using the drawing tablet and the laptop that Ahri had given me for Christmas.

I'd been practicing using the drawing tablet and read the guidebook on how to use the drawing tablet whenever I'd spare time, which was plenty. At first, I was bad at it. But soon, after practice after practice without giving up, I could finally draw like a normal webtoon artist.

Now, I was trying to draw Ahri, and I wanted it to be perfect. But every time I tried, it didn't look perfect to me.

So, I decided to take a break and read some news or something like that to cool myself down. I turned on Naver (the web browser that was used a lot in South Korea) and scrolled down the menu to see any news articles that were interesting.

Then I clicked one and saw that it was a video, so I played it.

"Today at Seoul, a kidnapping had almost occurred," the news anchor said and she said more things, like what time it'd happened, and after that, the video showed me a sidewalk and an expensive-looking dark car that was parked next to it. It was shot by a smartphone, and it was filming a girl with blond hair. She was a foreigner that goes to an international school (the news anchor had said that). then, suddenly, when the girl was passing by the car, the driver's door opened, and a pair of clawed hands grabbed the girl and dragged her in. And, when the girl started to scream, the right hand shut the door.

The person recording the video ran toward the car as if he or she was shocked.

"Demacia!" the girl's shout came out of the car faintly, and a second later, a beam of white light blasted out of the side of the car.

"The person who'd tried to kidnap the student was nonother than Vladimir, the eldest son of CEO of a famous foreign car company."

A picture of a guy with long blond hair, long red robe-like jacket, and claws attached to his finger was shown on the screen.

That was when I heard the doorbell ring.

"Huh, who might that be?" I asked myself while turning off the page and closing the laptop. I heard Ahri opening the front door and greeting happily to the person who rang the doorbell. After a moment, I realized that multiple people were entering the apartment.

After I turned off the laptop and the drawing pad, I scratched my head while standing up from my bed. Then, I walked up to my room's door.

After I opened it and walked out, I jolted to a stop while my eyes grew wide in shock when I saw who'd entered the apartment.

People who were sitting on the sofa and the floor of the living room were the rest of the members of the K/DA. Akali, Kai'Sa, and Evelynn.

My mouth dropped open, trying to say something, but nothing came out.

"Hi, Jeffric," Ahri greeted me with a smile. She was sitting on the right side of the sofa. She'd dyed her hair and her pair of fox ears blond because she was preparing for the comeback of K/DA.

"Hey, Ahri," Akali said while studying me, "Didn't you tell us that the friend of yours is a boy?"

"Uhh . . . he _is_ a boy," Ahri answered.

"Well, since he became nineteen, I guess we should call him a man," Evelynn said while glancing at me sideways.

"He's really beautiful," Kai'Sa complimented while looking directly at my face.

"Umm . . . hi!" I said, trying to stay calm and sound casual, but my voice shook a bit. "N-N-Nice to meet you all!"

I couldn't believe it. I was staring at the rest of the members of K/DA. Yes, I was living in the apartment of the lead singer of the K/DA, but it still shocked me when I saw _the rest of them_.

 _But most importantly_ , I thought in confusion, _what're they doing here?!_

"Hmm . . ." Akali said while still studying me. "He sounds like those male anime protagonists who have voices that would fit a female anime character."

"Now that you mention it," Kai'Sa said, "he kind of sounds like a girl too . . ."

"Ummm . . . thank you!" I said while nodding nervously and appreciatively to be polite.

"Come and join us, Jeffric," Ahri said while gesturing at the middle of the sofa, just next to her.

Evelynn was wearing a leather jacket with a purple T-Shirt underneath it, a short and dark skirt that was embroidered with golden skulls, and a pair of high heels, even though she was in the apartment. Her hair was tied into a low ponytail (which was hard to tell if it was a low ponytail or a totally different hairstyle that I didn't know) and it reached her . . . chest section. Plus, she had a pair of round and purple sunglasses on, few golden neckless around her neck, and golden claws on her fingers, which looked scary to me.

She was sitting at the left side of the sofa while Ahri was sitting on the right side, and she had her legs and arms crossed while an aura of charisma floated around her.

Kai'Sa was sitting on the ground, behind the coffee table that was placed in front of the sofa, facing me, while still studying my face with curiosity and awe, which made me uncomfortable. She was wearing tight-looking leather pants, sleeveless white shirt, and a thin and purple scarf around her neck. And her hair, at least to me, was a mixture of three hairstyles (I wasn't a hairstyle professional, so I wasn't sure . . . so just search her on google).

And Akali was lying on the ground next to Kai'Sa, playing a smartphone game with her smartphone. She was wearing her iconic purple jacket that had the eastern golden dragon on the backside, a white tank top underneath it, a pair of long and tattered jeans, and a darkish-purple cap with the golden K/DA logo on its front. Her unruly hair was tied in a wild ponytail that looked as if it exploded or something. And there was a large container next to her for some reason unknown to me.

Oh, and all their hair were different shades of purple, of course.

Plus, they were making me feel nervous. I hadn't felt this nervous except when I was with Ahri for the first time right after I gave her the hug when she told me that I could stay.

"Jeffric," Ahri said, "I like you to meet the rest of the K/DA crew!"

"And I presume that you know each one of us?" Evelynn asked while studying her golden nails.

"Y-Yeah, I know you guys!" I blurted out and blushed furiously.

Kai'Sa giggled. "He's so cute when he blushes," she said, and it made me blush even more.

"By the way," Akali asked while bringing her body upwards from the ground to sit in a sitting position while staring at me with a thoughtful expression on her face, "who's your favorite artists or bands?"

"Ummm . . . you guys, of course, Linkin Park, uhhh . . . Disturbed, Sum 41, All Times Low, and . . . more," I said nervously.

Akali raised an eyebrow as if she was impressed, "how about Pentakill?" she asked.

"Oh, I love that band too!" I exclaimed while clapping my hands. "I especially love Karthus's voice when he screams his throat out."

"Hey, I like Karthus, too!" Akali said while leaning over the coffee table and raised her fist and pointed at me. At first, I slightly flinched when a sudden memory of bullies punching me in the bathroom at high school past my mind. Then, I realized she wanted to give me a fist bump.

I curled my right hand into a fist and bumped it against hers, trying to do it like the popular kids had done back in middle school or high school while smiling sheepishly.

"And I take inspirations from Karthus," Evelynn said from beside me while glancing at me with an amused and also cold smile spread across her face.

"Can you dance, Jeffric?" Kai'Sa asked eagerly.

"Umm . . . I'm not good at dancing . . ." I said, but when I saw Kai'Sa's sad expression on her face, I quickly added; "but I can do a shuffle dance!"

This kind of thing went on for a while, Kai'Sa and Akali asking me a lot of questions while Evelynn just sat next to me quietly like an eagle spying on its prey.

Speaking to Akali and Kai'Sa made me feel energetic as if something inside me that was chained to the ground was finally freed.

"So, what country did you come from, Jeffric?" Kai'Sa asked after she stopped laughing when I told a joke about something that included a chocolate bar and one of the ancient kings that ruled Korea a really long time ago.

"Umm . . . I was born in Korea . . . I think," I said.

"Oh, then is one of your parents from other countries?"

"No," I said while shaking my head, "both of them are Koreans."

"But you have brown hair and green eyes," Evelynn said while looking at me.

"I think I was adopted," I said while shrugging, "I tried my best to not believe in that, but I decided it was the truth after I started to live with Ahri."

Well, I'd been thinking a lot about my existence after I started to live with Ahri, so it didn't take long for myself to realize that my parents couldn't be my actual parents, which made me feel excited because there could be my actual parents (or a parent) somewhere in this world.

"Ok, enough chitchat," Evelynn said. Then, she looked at Akali. "I think we should go back to the main reason why we're here in the first place."

"Oh, I almost forgot," Akali said while opening the lid of the large container next to her, revealing lots and lots of canned beers.

"Why did you bring them here?" I asked while my eyes grew wide by the number of canned beers in the container. I think there were at least fifteen or twenty of them!

"Well, to celebrate you entering adulthood, of course!" Ahri said while stroking my head. "Oh, and we'd already ordered some spicy fried chickens."

"Chickens goes really well with beers," Akali said while pulling out more canned beers and placing them on the coffee table.

 _Fried chickens?_ My thought asked me. _I only heard about them . . . I wonder if they're delicious . . ._

Kai'Sa was helping her when she'd noticed the drawing in a frame that I'd given Ahri for Christmas that was placed on the coffee table.

She gently picked it up while staring at the drawing inside the frame with her mouth wide open.

"Wow . . . it really looks like you, Ahri!" She exclaimed, "who drew this?"

"Jeffric did," Ahri said proudly.

"Wait, really?" Kai'Sa asked while staring at me with newfound respect. "Can you draw me too someday?"

"O-Of course!" I said while nodding vigorously.

 _A famous celebrity actually_ asked me _to draw her!_ I thought excitedly.

Then, Akali asked me whether if I could draw her someday. Then, even Evelynn asked me when she saw the drawing that Kai'Sa was holding!

"Not bad," Evelynn complimented, "it almost looks like the real Ahri."

Then, we all heard the doorbell ringing.

"The chickens' here," Evelynn said while rummaging through her skirt pocket. Then, she handed me her credit card while staring coldly at me, "can you bring them for us? If the delivery man or woman finds out that _all_ the K/DA members are here, there will be a riot."

"Ok," I said while taking the credit card and stood up. I wondered why Evelynn was so cold to me while walking toward the door.

When I opened it, a delivery man was standing in front of me, a guy with a busy-looking high ponytail hair, unshaved mouth, and a pair of sleepy-looking eyes.

"Here you go, miss or mister," a dude said to me while handing me a transparent plastic bag that had contained a box that contained the spicy fried chickens.

I handed him the card, and he put it into a credit card reader, and after it made a beeping noise, he gave it back to me.

"Have a great day," he said and walked away toward the elevator.

That was when I saw a katana-like sword strapped onto his waist.

 _Is he cosplaying?_ I thought.

I closed the door and went back to the coffee table in the living room.

"The chickens' are here," I announced while placing the plastic bag containing the box on the middle of the coffee table.

"Finally," Akali said while rubbing her hands and licking her lips, "let's get the party started!"

The spicy fried chickens were super delicious! When I bit into one, this spicy and sweet taste filled my mouth. It was so delicious that I thought that I could cry in joy.

"Now," Ahri said while handing me a canned beer, "try this."

I gingerly held the canned beer in my left hand. Then I stared around nervously. All the K/DA members were staring at me expectedly.

I'd bad memories of canned beers. My dad liked canned beers, and he always yelled at me after being drunk.

But now, the past was far behind me.

I gulped and opened the can by using my right hand.

"H-Here goes nothing," I said in a trembling voice. Then, I took a sip.

It tasted kind of weird. It wasn't sweet, but it felt strong like I was drinking explosives for some reasons. Plus, it tasted bitter, too. Really bitter.

"So, how is it?" Akali asked me.

"Not bad," I said while having another sip. "But not my taste."

"Well, welcome to the adult world, hon," Evelynn said to me.

I glanced at her and saw that she was regarding me with a cold stare.

 _Why is she so harsh on me?_ I thought.

* * *

We drank, ate, and chattered while watching funny TV programs.

Akali was laughing uncontrollably while watching the TV program, me, Ahri, and Kai'Sa talked about my drawing skills.

"Your drawing is so detailed that I first thought that you attended an art academy!" Kai'Sa exclaimed and bit into the spicy fried chicken that she was holding.

"I just practiced by drawing on scraps of paper and some mostly-used 4B pencils that I found in trash cans," I said, thrilled to talk about myself to multiple people. And the multiple people were the members of the famous K-pop group!

"Oh, by the way, Bokkie," Ahri said while putting her arm around my shoulder, which made me blush, "do you know that Jeffric here is getting pretty good at using the drawing tablet?"

"Wait, really?!" Kai'Sa asked, her eyes growing wide in amazement. "That's so cool!"

Ahri laughed and nudged at me playfully, her face now a little bit red from drinking. "Even the quiet member of the K/DA is impressed with you, Jeffric," Ahri said, "that's impressive!"

I laughed while taking another sip from the canned beer. "Thank you," I said while smiling happily.

Ahri was the first person in my life who was impressed with me. Now, Kai'Sa took second place.

 _Soon, maybe more people would be impressed with me_ , I thought joyfully.

I know what you're thinking right now. You might be thinking; "Dude, do you have a crush on Kai'Sa?"

My answer; "No! No, no, no, no. No! I only have a crush on Ahri and no one else!"

Then, you might be thinking; ". . . So . . . You have a crush on Ahri?"

My answer; "No, I mean yes, I mean no! Umm . . . Uhh . . .You didn't hear the thing that I've told you! This is just your imagination! I never said anything!"

"Oh, by the way, Evelynn," Ahri said while looking at Evelynn, "why don't you show your sportscar to Jeffric here? I think Jeffric would love to see yours."

Just a moment, Evelynn's face became stone-cold. Then, she smiled, and my body froze in fear. Her smile was so cold that I swore that my lips were frozen. But, apart from myself, nobody seemed to sense the coldness.

"My pleasure," Evelynn said while gripping my left arm with her right clawed hand. Then, she started to drag me toward the front door.

"Have fun, Jeffric!" Ahri said while waving at me, her movement kind of wobbly due to alcohol in her body.

I tried to decline, but Evelynn glanced back at me, and her cold and dark gaze shut me up.

"I have some questions to ask," she whispered at me, which sent chills down my spine, "and I hope you answer them correctly."


	31. Special EP:6

Evelynn dragged me into the elevator and she pressed the button for the 1st floor. I nervously stared at her while fear crept into my heart.

Ahri was 167.6cm tall while Evelynn was 164cm tall. I was about 4cm shorter than Ahri, so I was about 1cm shorter than Evelynn. But for some reason, she seemed even taller than that. This fact alone made my skin crawl as if a cold wind was blowing onto my skin.

"What questions d-do you want to ask m-me?" I asked her.

She fixed her cold gaze on me, which made me shut my mouth.

"Just wait," she said.

Then, the elevator reached the first floor.

Evelynn stepped out while dragging me with her. We went across the lobby, her high heels making rhythmic noises on the ground, and out into the parking lot. There were several cars in there, and she headed toward one in particular; an expensive-looking purple sportscar.

My mouth dropped open in wonder because of its slick and cool design.

 _I wish I could have something like that . . ._ I thought sadly, knowing that I'd only two percent chance of owning a cool-looking sports car in my life.

She grabbed the handle of the right door and the car made an unlocking noise. Then, she opened it and pushed me in. After that, she walked behind her sports car, opened the car trunk, shut it after a moment, walked toward the left door, opened it, and stepped in, sitting on the driver's seat while closing the door shut.

She had a pair of purple velvet-like tails that had a golden spear thingy, that had a diamond-shaped hole, attached on tips of both tails attached to the purple fur tippet that she was now wearing on the axillary sections of her arms.

Evelynn was wearing the velvet tails that she wore on the concerts of K/DA.

Back then, they looked awesome. But now, they looked scary to me, and the fact that both of the golden tips of the tails were pointing directly at me didn't help at all.

She started the engine by inserting the car key into the ignition and twisting it while moving the gear stick into place.

"This is a new sports car that I bought," Evelynn said, "do you like it?"

"Uhhh . . . yeah," I said while looking around in confusion and awe. I was still confused because of the alcohol affecting my judgment while being awed because I'd never seen the interior of a sports car before in my life. Plus, I was kind of dizzy, too.

The place smelled like roses. The seats were made of reddish-black leather and there was a screen placed in front of me.

I gingerly reached out to the screen in curiosity.

"Don't. You. Dare. Touch. It."

I flinched and retreated my hand away from the screen. "S-Sorry!" I squeaked.

Evelynn drove the sports car out of the parking space and into the streets of Seoul while turning on the radio to listen to music.

A rock music that I never heard before started to flow out of the radio, the sound small enough for it to sound like soothing music that made me feel sleepy and calm in this scary situation.

Now, because of the alcohol, I started to get car sick, but the soothing music helped me to endure it.

After some minutes of driving, she drove her sports car into an alleyway between two buildings. When we reached the end, she stopped her sports car and unseized her hands from the steering wheel, the car's engine, and the radio turning off instantly, creepy quietness suddenly filling the sports car.

"Now," Evelynn said while turning her body in her seat to look at me, "to business."

That was when my dazed brain realized that how much danger I was in.

I tried desperately to open the door, but it won't budge. Then, I started to bang my fist against it.

"Help!" I yelled. "A murderous K-pop star is threatening me!"

"It's useless," Evelynn said, her voice filled with calmness and murderous intentions (and a small bit of seductiveness) while pressing the claw that was attached to her trigger finger onto the back of my neck, "stop it before I make you stop, hon."

It caused a little pain, so I stopped and didn't move, while a single tear caused by the fear in my heart trickled down my cheek.

Suddenly, one of the tails moved toward my face, its spear-like tip touching my left cheek and it started to slid down along my cheek and onto my neck.

"Now, turn around, hon," she said, "and you might be spared."

I slowly turned around in my seat to face her, the door now pressed on my back.

"What questions do you want to ask me . . . ?" I asked while staring at Evelynn in fear with my body trembled, trying to curl into a ball at the corner of the car seat, which was useless.

She studied me for a moment, raising an eyebrow when she noticed the single tear that had slid down my cheek.

"Why are you living in Ahri's apartment?"

I stared at her, confused.

"Didn't Ahri tell you?" I asked.

She shook her head.

 _I guess Ahri wanted them to treat me like a friend instead of treating me like a miserable person who needs sympathy_ , I thought.

If that was true, I appreciated it because if Ahri had told my story to the three of them, they could've acted more sympathetic than friendly.

"Well . . . I-I was homeless," I said the simple answer, trying to avoid telling my story.

But Evelynn made it hard.

"You didn't have any home?" she asked.

 _I guess I should tell the small part of it_ , I thought.

The thing that I was about to tell her was a small detail that I didn't tell you at the Special Episode 1, so I guess it was about time to tell you, the readers, too.

"I decided to drop out of high school and my parents didn't like my decision," I explained, "t-they . . . hit me . . . a lot . . . because of it."

Evelynn nodded while still staring at me through her round and purple sunglasses.

"Wait a moment," Evelynn suddenly said, "did you say that you _decided_ to drop out of high school?"

I nodded.

Evelynn narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

Oh damn, she was really digging into my privacy.

"Bullies," I answered simply.

Evelynn raised her eyebrow. "You got bullied?"

I nodded. "A-A lot, actually."

Again, she studied me for a while, this time curling and uncurling her fingers, her golden claws moving like a wave.

"Last question," she said, "how did you meet Ahri?"

"Uhhh . . ." I fidgeted nervously. "I used her credit card that she'd lost and she tracked me down and brought me to her apartment to know why I only used it on junk foods."

Evelynn glared at me accusingly.

"I-I didn't have any money!" I quickly said. "My p-parents never gave me an allowance in my life, so I didn't have any money that I could use to buy myself something t-to eat!"

Evelynn nodded slowly while processing everything that I'd told her.

"Overall, I think you're not a bad person," she finally said.

I started to breathe a sigh of relief.

"But."

I stopped in the middle of breathing when she glared at me with pure anger burning behind her eyes while her face contorted into a scary snarl.

"If you sexually harass her or say bad things at her," Evelynn said silently, which sent shivers down my spine because her voice sounded really scary to me. "I'll make sure that you are deleted from the face of this planet."

"I-I won't do anything like that to Ahri!" I exclaimed. "I'll rather kill myself!"

"You better stick to your words," Evelynn warned, scrapping her nails on the windshield, sending shivers through my bones by the sounds her action had produced. "Because whenever I saw male celebrities looking lustfully at Ahri, I dated them and then broke their heart before they could lay their dirty hands on her." She closed her hand into a fist while being careful not the pierce it with her own claws. "Now, they're crying in their houses, far away from Ahri to cause harm to her."

That explained why several male celebrities that were linked romantically with Evelynn went missing.

"And," Evelynn continued, "do you know why the K/DA decided to take a rest from performing?"

I shook my head. That fact still kind of confused me, but I'd decided that the members must've been tired from so much work.

"It's because of the haters," Evelynn said, almost growling, "they . . . they broke Ahri's will to sing in front of the audience . . . so we decided to rest for some months."

My eyes grew wide in surprise. "Haters?" I asked her in shock. "B-B-But who would hate Ahri . . . ? She's so kind and gentle . . ."

"No lifers, people with jealousy, and perverted-braindead-idiots," Evelynn answered. "They mocked her on the internet. Saying horrible things that nobody should hear in one's life."

Then she thought for a moment.

"I guess her situation explains why she let you live in her apartment," she said thoughtfully, "she was sympathetic toward you because your past experience of being bullied reminded of her own present."

I didn't know what to say.

 _There are people who hate Ahri . . . ?_

Then, I remembered her telling me about hate messages she'd received back in the New Year's Eve.

 _Oh._

"We're going back to Ahri's apartment," Evelynn said, "the questionings are over."

She faced the windshield and started the sports car, it vibrating back to life.

Then, she started to laugh.

"I have to say, Jeffric," she said while looking sideways at me while an amused smile spread across her face, "you looked kind of funny when you were scared."

"Umm . . . thank you?"

"Don't mention it, hon."

She drove the sports car back to the parking lot in front of Ahri's apartment.

When we got out, we started to walk toward the entrance.

"By the way, Jeffric," Evelynn said, "you look familiar to me for some reason. Have we met before?"

"No, I never met you in person in my life," I answered.

We walked into the lobby of the apartment and took a ride on the elevator. That was when Evelynn snapped her finger.

"Wait a moment," Evelynn said and brought out her smartphone and touched the screen several times until she'd found what she was looking for.

"Stand in front of the mirror, Jeffric," Evelynn said.

There was a mirror on the side of the elevator, so I stood in front of it as she'd told me to.

Evelynn brought up her smartphone in front of the mirror, the screen facing its reflective surface.

"I knew it," Evelynn said.

The smartphone screen showed a close-up picture of Ahri's face, and next to the reflection of the smartphone screen was the reflection of my face, with my green eyes and long brown hair.

"You resemble her," Evelynn said, "this is kind of interesting . . ."

I blinked. Then blinked again in surprise.

She was . . . right!

I couldn't believe my eyes.

"I-I never noticed this before!" I exclaimed while touching my face, still staring at the reflection of the Ahri's picture. Even though my vision was a little bit hazy due to drinking, I still could see that the facial features were mostly similar to Ahri's, like muscle placements or cheekbones. But there was a difference. If Ahri's face was on the beautiful side, mine was a little bit on the cuter side, for example; my eyes resembled the eyes of the cute anime characters while Ahri's eyes resembled the eyes of the deadly-beautiful anime girls/women.

That was when the elevator door opened.

We stepped out and walked toward the door of Ahri's apartment. I was still amazed about what I'd just discovered when Evelynn pushed the doorbell and we waited for someone to open the door. A few seconds later, the door opened, and Ahri was standing behind it, her face now a little bit redder than before, and her movement was kind of wobbly.

"Hey, guys!" Ahri said cheerfully and hiccupped. "Welcome back!"

When I stepped in, Ahri wrapped her arm around my waist—which made me flinch and blush—and started to lead me toward the coffee table where Akali and Kai'Sa was watching a Korean romance drama, and the main character in the drama was proposing to the female character.

"Marry me, Iseul," the main character said to the female character, "I-I really love you!"

Both Akali and Kai'Sa squealed like fangirls.

"He finally proposed to her!" Akali said excitedly while clasping both of her hands. "After five-hundred episodes of waiting, he finally proposed to her!"

"My life is completed!" Kai'Sa said happily while rubbing away the tears in her eyes.

"Uhh . . . what's going on?" I asked Ahri.

Ahri giggled. "They're watching their favorite drama," Ahri explained, "and I guess they've waited for this moment to happen."

Then, the drama ended, and the credits started to roll.

"Can't wait to see the next episode!" Akali said while sipping her canned beer. "I want to know if that female character accepts or declines."

Ahri and I sat down on the sofa, Ahri's arm still around my waist.

The box of fried spicy chickens was almost empty, and there were only three untouched canned beers left on the coffee table.

"So, what now?" Evelynn said while sitting on the sofa next to me.

"I was thinking that we could play a game," Ahri said.

"What game?" I asked her.

She gave me a playful grin. "I'll tell you."


	32. Special EP:7

While Ahri, Jeffric, Akali, Evelynn, and Kai'Sa were at Ahri's apartment, something terrible was happening at another location in Seoul city.

Something really, really, really terrible . . .

In a luxurious apartment, a man in the late 20s was staring out at the beautiful skyline of Seoul through his apartment's broad window, his pair of black eyes, slightly hollow cheeks, and his long slicked back hairthat was dyed into blond reflected on it while he held his new smartphone to his ear. He was calling someone.

Then, the person he was calling finally answered his call.

"Oh, hi," the man said while sneering slightly, "did you miss me?"

He touched the broad window with his other hand. "I saw your performance in the drama on the TV. Not that bad, I have to say."

He laughed, which sounded more like a cackle than an actual laugh. A cackle that would fit the devil.

He turned around and walked toward the sofa and sat in it while crossing his legs. "Are you free tomorrow night? Why don't you come to the Shining Star?" he asked slyly like a snake preparing to bite while his sneer grew wider. "To my _prestigious club_."

He listened while the person on the opposite side said something. Then, he chuckled silently.

"Do you think that you have a right to make a decision here, 'Iseul?'" he said while stifling his silent chuckle, menace filling his voice. "I mean, you don't want _the video_ to be released on the internet, do you?" He laughed when he heard the person on the other side of the phone gasping in horror. "Just come to my club tomorrow night, _or else_."

He hung up and put his smartphone into his pocket. Then, he broke into loud cackle-like laughter.

A threat was looming over the horizon.

A threat that might destroy the ordinary lives of innocent people.

* * *

Ahri explained the rules of the game. The game she came up with was something that many people at my high school played a lot.

It was a game where you say a single number starting from one while praying that nobody would say the number that you'd said. If you say the number and another or other several people say the same number, you and the other people get a penalty where the people who didn't say the number gets to slap your back and other people's back four times (the penalty was sometimes different, but this penalty was common).

For example; there are ten people in a room. When the game starts, a person says "One," and nobody says the number, then that person is safe. Then, when another person says "Two," and nobody says that number either, that person is safe, too. But, when a third person says "Three," and a fourth person says the number, they both get the penalty. And, with some miracle, if nine individuals out of ten say a number without any other people saying the number at the same time, the remaining one person gets a penalty.

I looked nervously around the room. When playing this game, it was required to try figuring out if others were going to say the number.

"One!" I yelled. Thankfully nobody said the number.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was lucky," I said and took a sip of canned beer, the bitter taste filling my mouth once again.

Ahri glanced around, studying the other three.

"Two!" Ahri and Akali yelled at the same time.

"You guys are caught," Evelynn said while cracking her knuckles and smiling menacingly.

Ahri had her left arm around my waist while her right arm hugged my stomach.

She turned her head to look at me, a sheepish smile on her face only a few centimeters away from my own.

"You don't have to slap my back weakly on purpose, darling," Ahri drawled while tickling my chin with her right hand's index finger. "For you, I can endure anything." Her cheeks were now obviously red. She drank four canned beers, and they were now really affecting her.

My cheeks were red from drinking two canned beers, but Ahri made them much redder.

She unfurled her left arm from my waist and turned her back to me while looking behind her left shoulder at my nervous face. She'd moved her fox tails to reveal her shirt-covered back to me.

I gulped and nervously placed both of my hands on her back, feeling her spine through the fabric of her T-shirt. Then, I softly slapped her back four times.

I didn't like hitting people that much.

"You're a kind one," she said while smiling.

I stood up from the sofa and walked around the coffee table and stood behind Akali. I crouched down while placing both of my hands on her jacket-covered back and softly slapped four times.

"Ah, too weak, babe," she said while touching her back, "you can do better than that."

"I-I hate violence . . ."

I scooched sideways to let Kai'Sa slap Akali's back.

"Let me show you how it's done," Kai'Sa said to me while crouching behind Akali who was yawning sleepily. Then, she raised both of her hands into the air and brought it down onto Akali's back, four times, stopping Akali in the middle of yawning.

"Ouch! Ow! Hey, tha—Ow! Scre—Ya!"

Akali slumped onto the coffee table, pressed her face onto it and started making a low groaning noise while rubbing her back.

"Kai'Sa," she said, her voice muffled because of the coffee table, "I always knew that you were a devil in disguise . . ."

"Oh, don't be a baby, Rogue," Kai'Sa said while trying really hard not to laugh.

Just then, we heard Ahri screaming.

I quickly looked toward her and saw Ahri curled into a ball on the sofa while her fox tails twitched as if they were being electrocuted.

"E-E-Eve punched my back with her fists!" Ahri yelped while pointing a trembling finger at Evelynn who was laughing quietly with her mouth covered.

"I had to, Foxy," she said after she stopped laughing, "my fingers are covered with claws and you might've gotten hurt by them."

"B-But still!"

"Well, I'm sorry, Ahri," Evelynn said while smiling slyly.

"I'll get you for that later," Ahri huffed while crossing her arms. She pouted while glaring at Evelynn, who was now walking around the coffee table to Akali.

 _Wow, Ahri looks so cute!_ I thought. Then, I realized what I'd just thought. _Oh no . . . the beer is getting to my brain . . ._

"Eve," Akali said while laughing nervously, slowly scooching away from the approaching diva. "P-Please don't do that. I mean, w-we're friends!"

"Sorry," Evelynn said, "rules are rules."

Then, she grabbed Akali by the shoulders—stopping her from getting away from her, turned her around, and pushed her, chest first, onto the ground.

"No!" Akali yelled while trying desperately to get up from the floor, fear creeping into her voice.

"Yes," Evelynn said, a cold smile on her face, as if she was a predator catching its prey, sat down on Akali's back legs to stop her from standing up, curled her clawed hands slightly into fists. Then, she slammed them onto Akali's back.

Four times.

"Ouch!" Kai'Sa winced while staring at the scene.

When Evelynn stood up from Akali and went back to the sofa, Akali was convulsing on the ground, her eyes twitching. She kind of looked like a cartoon character that was stamped onto the ground with a gigantic hammer.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow . . ."

"Should we call the ambulance?" Kai'Sa asked. Now, she was on the sofa and was softly slapping Ahri's back. Ahri was still curled into a ball, but her tails stopped twitching.

"No need," Evelynn said while admiring her golden claws, "she'll get over it."

"Screw you . . ." Akali said weakly.

Two minutes later, Ahri and Akali were ready to play the game again.

"Ok, people," Akali said while messaging her back, "time for round two."

We stayed silent for a moment, eyeing everyone else.

"One!" Evelynn finally said calmly.

No one said anything, so she was safe.

"Two!" Kai'Sa said.

No one said anything, so she was safe, too.

"Three!" Akali and I yelled. Then we both groaned.

"Oh no . . ." Akali moaned while facepalming. "Not again!"

I gulped while looking sideways at Ahri and Evelynn. They were both staring at me as if I was something delicious.

I tried my best to be as small as possible in the middle of the sofa while pressing my back against the soft fabric.

It was no use.

"Are you ready, darling?" Ahri drawled while winking slowly at me.

"Umm . . . No?" I answered in a small voice.

I suddenly felt a clawed hand clasping onto my left shoulder. I shuddered while squeezing my eyes shut and started whimpering in horror.

I knew what was coming.

"Don't be scared," Ahri said and hiccupped. "It's not _that_ painful . . ."

I felt another clawed hand clasping onto my right shoulder and felt both of the hands moving me around and pulling me toward the owner of the hands.

"He's scared," Evelynn said as if she was amused. Then, I felt her fists impacting onto my back four times.

It felt as if rocks were crashing onto my back.

My eyes popped open and I cried out, my eyes watery due to the pain.

Before I could do anything, I felt Ahri's hands grabbing my waist and my shoulder.

"My turn," Ahri said.

She turned me around and I felt her hands pressing onto my back.

When Ahri was softly slapping my back, I saw Evelynn standing up from the sofa to go to Akali.

"Not again!" Akali yelled and stood up quickly. Then, she made a run for the front door.

"Oh, no you don't, Akali," Evelynn said and one of her tails flew toward Akali, wrapped around her left leg, and started to drag Akali toward her, making Akali fall onto her face.

"No!" Akali desperately dug her nails to the ground, but the ground was too smooth.

I closed my eyes and heard Akali screaming. When I opened again, she was convulsing on the ground, like before.

"Not . . . Fair . . ." Akali groaned.

* * *

We played two more matches and finally stopped.

"Akali," Evelynn scolded while pressing a clawed hand on her back, "that punches you gave me was so uncalled-for."

"You deserved it!" Akali huffed.

At the final match, Evelynn finally got caught, so Akali punched her back hard as she could.

"That was actually fun," I commented and yawned, "now I'm sleepy. I think I should go to—"

"No, you don't," Ahri interrupted while locking me in a playful headlock, "there's one more thing to do."

"And . . . what is that?" I asked while desperately struggling to get out of her headlock, which was no use.

"Karaoke time!" Kai'Sa answered brightly while pulling out a dark box with several buttons from underneath the coffee table, "let's see how talented you're at singing."

* * *

 **(A/N)**

 **After the next part, I'm going to continue with the main storyline. It feels really good to write something positive after writing something depressing. From now on, the main storyline will be happy . . .**

 **For now, at least.**

 **But sadly, I can't say the same thing with the Special Episode storyline . . .**

 **Because the next time I write the Special Episode storyline . . . it will be dark (the man at the start was the foreshadowing).**

 **Why am I going to write something dark?**

 **Well . . . I'll just tell you this for now; I came across something on the internet. I'm a fan of the K/DA alt universe, and the thing that I came across made me furious. Furious enough for me to write something about it.**

 **But I'll give you a 'hint': "Most of the times, heroes are victorious. But to be victorious, they need to go through hardships."**

 **Anyways, thank you for the support, dear readers. I'm so glad that there are people who like reading my story. Knowing this always makes me smile :)**


	33. Special EP: 8

Kai'Sa linked the karaoke machine to the TV and turned it on. The TV screen was now filled with a menu screen with a search bar that made me think of a party room filled with the lights from the disco ball and loud music.

Now, I could see it more clearly. The buttons that were attached to it weren't actually buttons. They were button icons on a digital screen. Some digital buttons had English and Korean letters on them while others had other things like an on/off button, cancel button, enter button, and etc. Plus, there were two mics attached on both sides of the machine.

The machine itself looked like a console, slick, and smooth-looking. It didn't have speakers for some reason. Plus, it was a little bit bigger than an Xbox console.

"It's newly-released portable karaoke machine," Kai'Sa explained, "it needs to be linked to the TV to use it."

"Isn't this made by Jayce Technologies?" I asked while remembering an advertisement on the TV that I watched a week ago.

"Yep," Kai'Sa said. Then she pulled one of the mics off the side of the machine and handed it to me, taking me off-guard. "Why don't you sing first?"

"Yeah," Ahri purred while pulling my right ear with her hand, "I really want to hear your voice."

"I . . . umm . . ." I stuttered and looked nervously around while holding the mic with both of my hands, trying hard to make an excuse to get out of this situation when all four K-pop artists were staring at me expectedly. Plus, it was hard to make ideas when one of them was head-locking me. "I-I'm not—"

"We won't laugh at you if you're bad at singing," Evelynn told me.

I looked at Evelynn and met her cool gaze. She had tipped her head to stare at me from over her purple sunglasses. Suddenly, I realized something. When Evelynn dragged me to her sports car, I was scared out of my mind. But when we were playing that game and Evelynn was preparing to execute the penalty on me, I was slightly scared of her. My usual self would've run away while screaming like crazy when she was about to slap my back, but I didn't.

Why?

 _Did my mind get comfortable with her after the 'talk' that took place in her sports car?_ I asked myself.

Ahri, who was still head-locking me, started to chant.

"Sing! Sing! Sing!"

And before I knew it, the other three started to chant after her.

 _How did I find myself in this situation . . . ?_ I asked myself while I wildly looked around, which was hard because of Ahri's head-lock. _I just wanted to sleep!_

"F-Fine!" I finally surrendered. "I'll sing."

They cheered.

"So, what's the title of the song that you want to sing?" Kai'Sa asked while preparing to use the buttons on the screen.

I gulped. "New Divide."

"Linkin Park, eh?" Akali raised an eyebrow at me.

"Lived as a man, died as a legend," Evelynn commented.

"Sang like an angel, screamed like a demon," I answered.

"What does that mean?" Kai'Sa asked curiously while typing the title on the machine.

"Tribute to the lead singer," I said. "B-By the way, should I stand up and sing or—?"

Ahri uncurled her arm from my neck and smiled cheekily at me while pushing me upwards from the sofa for me to stand.

"Stand up it is."

I was really nervous. Never in my life did I sing in front of other people. Especially in front of celebrities.

"The music starts . . . Now!" Kai'Sa announced and the TV screen was now filled with colorful pixelated music bars that moved up and down with the flow of the music and a dark background.

The familiar beat started to play from the speakers placed on both sides of the TV and the colorful music bars started to move. At first only a few moved slowly. But, when the drum joined, all started to move up and down.

I looked around nervously for the last time and breathed heavily while closing my eyes shut. I pulled out the bad memories of my past and started to picture them in my mind when the guitar joined.

Hearing laughters from behind my back at the class in high school, commenting about my bony features, me being stuck in a math academy, forced to shove useless math equations into my brain that were only useful at taking tests, and being pushed from behind in the middle of the school hallway, dropping the things that I was holding onto the ground while I fell on top of them.

The sensation of hopelessness and grief filled me as I opened my eyes.

The TV screen indicated that there were only 3 seconds left before the lyrics came up.

Then, I opened my mouth and began singing when the lyrics appeared.

.

 _I remember black skies_

 _The lightning all around me_

 _._

I waited for the next lyrics to appear.

.

 _I remember each flash_

 _As time began to blur_

 _._

I waited for a moment.

.

 _Like a startling sign_

 _That fate had finally found me_

 _._

My mind started to go with the flow of the music.

.

 _And your voice was all I heard_

 _That I get what I deserve_

 _._

Then, I felt all the hopelessness and grief starting to explode out of my throat and becoming one with my voice when I screamed out the next lyrics.

.

 _So give me reason_

 _To prove me wrong_

 _To wash this memory clean_

 _Let the floods cross_

 _The distance in your eyes_

 _._

I did it again.

.

 _Give me reason_

 _To fill this hole_

 _Connect this space between_

 _Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies_

 _Across this new divide_

 _._

I kept on singing while pouring the emotions of my sufferings through the lyrics. I felt pain while singing, but also happiness.

I believed that singing was a way of telling a story, sending a message to the audience, the people who were listening. Before now, no one was there to listen to my story when I sang inside an empty karaoke room, no one to receive the message of my feelings.

But now, there were listeners who wanted to listen.

Listeners who wanted to hear my story.

At first, I was scared that I would screw up this special moment that might be the only chance for me to sing in front of actual people and tried to avoid it. But, when I started singing, I realized that I wasn't scared anymore.

I felt as if all the frustrations that had built inside my soul were being exploding out through my voice.

I almost cried because this feeling was so . . . refreshing.

When the song finished, everybody was silent.

When I started to feel as if I'd screwed up somehow, Ahri broke into wild applause.

"Bravo!" Ahri cheered.

Then, everybody started clapping while cheering as if _I_ was the celebrity.

"Talented!" Akali said.

"Not bad," Evelynn complimented.

"Beautiful voice!" Kai'Sa exclaimed while clasping her hands.

I looked around and finally smiled wobbly.

I was a shy person, ok?

"Thank you," I whispered while pressing my hands on my chest. Then, I sat down on the sofa.

Ahri patted my head. "Well done, darling!" she said while caressing my long hair with the other hand. "I never knew that you could sing that well."

I blushed while scratching my head. "I practiced in karaoke rooms . . ."

That was true, but I was hiding an important detail, which made me feel guilty.

To use a karaoke room, people had to pay money. But I didn't receive any allowance, so I'd to do a thing that I wasn't proud of . . .

Stealing from my mom's wallet . . .

Once a month.

I'd no choice. I really, really wanted to sing, so I'd to steal from my mom for money . . .

 _I'm such a selfish person . . ._ I thought gloomily.

"I'll sing next," Evelynn said while plucking the mic from my hand with her clawed one. Then, she looked at Kai'Sa. "Type 'Mortal Reminder', please."

Kai'Sa typed in the title and the song began to play.

If Karthus sang like a wraith, Evelynn sang like a demon goddess. Her voice was cold and powerful while her posture was confident as if she was a loyalty.

.

 _As the masses came_

 _Like a shadow through this land_

 _They laid siege to all we ever had, yeah!_

 _._

I'd to say, her version of Mortal Reminder was actually good!

When she finished singing, she bowed majestically while we all applauded.

"Awesome as always," Akali complimented.

Akali was next.

She chose to sing a Korean rap song. Sadly, I never heard the song that she sang before, so I couldn't say many things about it. But, I'd like to say that she was really, really good at rapping. It seemed to me that Akali knew when to rap fast and when to slow down, like a cook making a dish with the frying pan on a fire.

Every time she unleashed a series of lines while nodding to beat, Ahri whooped excitedly while shaking her fist in the air, cheering Akali on.

When she finished, she stepped in front of Kai'Sa, who was sitting beside the karaoke machine and dropped the mic onto her lap.

"Mic drop, bam!" she said and went back to her place. "You're next, Bokkie."

Kai'Sa chose a song called 'DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love', which was actually a good song. Plus, she stood on the coffee table and sang as if she was enjoying herself and danced energetically to the beat! Seriously, you should've seen her smiling while singing and dancing on the coffee table because it was really dazzling that I thought my eyes were burning out!

.

 _'Cause baby, tonight_

 _The DJ got us falling in love again (Love again)_

 _Yeah, baby, tonight_

 _The DJ got us falling in love again (Love again)_

 _So dance, dance like it's the last, last night_

 _Of your life, life, Gon' get you right_

 _._

When she finished, she bowed politely and stepped down from the coffee table while we cheered.

"I'm next," Ahri announced while drunkenly standing up from the sofa.

Kai'Sa handed her the mic while looking at her with a concerned look on her face.

"Are you sure you can sing right now?" she asked.

"Of course, I'm sure!" Ahri enthusiastically and hiccupped while holding the mic with both of her hands, her head swaying slightly.

Then, she turned her head toward Akali.

"Hey, Akali," she said, "I need your rap skill while I sing."

"Ok," Akali answered while pulling out another mic on another side of the karaoke machine.

"So, what song?" Kai'Sa asked.

Ahri smiled wobbly. "Rockabye."

"Oh, that song!" Akali said while standing up. "That's why you need me."

When Kai'Sa typed the title, the song began, and Akali started to rap.

.

 _Call it love and devotion_

 _Call it a mom's adoration, foundation_

 _A special bond of creation, hah_

 _For all the single moms out there_

 _Going through frustration_

 _Clean Bandit, Sean-da-Paul, Anne-Marie_

 _Sing, make them hear_

 _._

That was when Ahri began to sing, the song becoming a duo.

.

 _She works at nights by the water_

 _She's gone astray so far away_

 _From her father's daughter_

 _She just wants a life for her baby_

 _All on her own, no one will come_

 _She's got to save him_

 _._

 _(Akali): Daily struggle_

 _._

Then, Ahri glanced sideways at me, a smile on her face.

.

 _She tells him, "Ooh, love, no one's ever gonna hurt you, love._

 _I'm gonna give you all of my love._

 _Nobody matters like you."_

 _._

 _(Akali): Stay up there, stay up there_

 _._

 _She tells him, "Your life ain't gon' be nothing like my life." (Straight!)_

 _"You're gonna grow and have a good life._

 _I'm gonna do what I've got to do."_

 _._

 _(Akali): Stay up there, stay up there_

 _._

Ahri stood up from the sofa, stepped toward the coffee table, and sat down on it, directly in front of me while staring directly into my eyes, her head swaying gently. She crossed her legs and began to sing.

.

 _So, rockabye baby, rockabye_

 _I'm gonna rock you_

 _Rockabye baby, don't you cry_

 _Somebody's got you_

 _Rockabye baby, rockabye_

 _I'm gonna rock you_

 _Rockabye baby, don't you cry_

 _Rockabye, no_

 _._

She took my attention like a thief taking the wallet out of someone's pocket. I was literally paralyzed by her voice, her beautiful face, and the heartwarming lyrics, our eyes locked the entire time.

When the song was over, I was the first one to applause eagerly.

"That was so beautiful!" I said while smiling broadly, my eyes gleaming in awe.

Ahri smiled drunkenly at me, gratitude on her face.

"Thank you, sweetheart."

* * *

We kept on singing but soon, everybody became exhausted.

Akali was so tired that she drifted into sleep while lying on the ground, still holding her canned beer in her left hand, while Evelynn was singing. Kai'Sa rested her head on the coffee table and started to snore softly almost 30 minutes after Akali drifted into sleep. Finally, Evelynn lay down on the ground next to the sofa.

"You use the sofa, Ahri," Evelynn said sleepily, "I'll just sleep on the ground . . ."

Then, she yawned and she went to the dream world.

Now, only Ahri and I were left awake, still sitting on the sofa.

She yawned softly while stretching her arms upwards. "Boy, I'm tired."

I stifled a yawn. "Me too."

Ahri looked sideways at me her eyes opening and closing sleepily. "Jeffric, can you bring my blanket from my room? I . . . I will sleep here."

"You got it," I said and stood up from the sofa.

 _Stupid alcohol_ , I thought while walking wobbly toward Ahri's room door after I turned off the karaoke machine and the TV.

People, drink as little alcohol as possible because it would make your vision go blurry and everything kind of dizzy.

It was my first time entering Ahri's bedroom, so I was kind of nervous.

When I opened the door, a room larger them mine greeted me.

The room had closets that were built into the right and left walls while a four-poster bed was placed at the end of the room. The wall behind the bed was made with black tiles, two golden lamps hanging on it. There was a nightstand next to the bed, a white vase containing a bouquet inside it.

I imagined that all the clothes that the fashion designers made for Ahri were in the closets.

I heaved up the golden blanket after folding it several times. Then, I walked out of her room, closed the door, turned off the living room lights by pressing the button with the folded-up blanket, making the living room go dark, and went back to the sofa.

I could make out Ahri standing next to it while I spread the blanket on the sofa for her in the dark. When I was finished, Ahri lay down on the blanket-covered sofa while sighing blissfully, closing her sleepy eyes.

"I'll sleep in my room," I said and yawned.

 _I'm so tired . . ._ I thought and turned around to go to my room.

But suddenly, I felt something grab the back of my T-shirt from behind.

I flinched. Who was grabbing me?

"Hold on, darling," Ahri drawled, "where do you think you're going?"

I felt a pair of arms hugging my waist and I was dragged onto the sofa. Before I knew what was happening, I was lying on top of Ahri, face to face while both of my arms were raised as if I was surrendering.

"A-Ahri . . . ?" I asked, shock visible in my voice. "W-What are you—?"

Ahri rolled on the sofa, still hugging my waist with her left arm while grabbing the edge of the blanket that was touching the ground with the right hand. Before I knew it, Ahri was on top of me while the blanket was wounded tightly around our body except for the neck and head. Her body was pressed against mine, her red face and my slightly red face only a centimeter apart, the city lights reflected on her golden eyes, making them glow in the dark.

 _W-What's going on?!_

I felt my face starting to burn while my heart starting to beat faster and faster.

I tried to say something in disbelief, but Ahri's left hand clamped onto my mouth, making the things that I tried to say sounded muffled while pressing her right arm on both of my arms that were still in the 'I surrender' position onto the sofa's edge.

I was trapped!

"Shh," she said as if to quiet me down while winking at me.

I suddenly became aware that her legs were tangled with mine and her breasts were pressed onto my chest.

 _Oh no . . . no . . . Oh no!_

I started to struggle while trying to scream through her hand, but she was stronger than me, so I was unable to get out.

"Now, now, darling," Ahri whispered playfully, "you don't want to wake up everyone else, do you?"

At last, I gave up and stared helplessly up at her, her beautiful golden eyes filled with mischief.

She was breathing heavily and she licked her lips like a person that was about to eat something delicious, a single sweat trickling down her forehead.

 _Help!_ I thought.

"You look so cute when you look helpless, darling . . ." Ahri drawled. Then she bared her fangs playfully. "I wanna eat you!"

I let out a muffled shrieked and started to struggle again, my eyes tearing up in fear.

Ahri broke into a silent laugh. "I was just joking, darling. Don't be scared."

Then, she kissed me on the nose.

I made a confused sound through her hand, but she started to barrage my face with kisses. My cheeks, my forehead, and even my eyelids!

I squirmed underneath her, half enjoying and half resisting her actions.

At last, she kissed the side of my neck and she finally unclasped her hand from my mouth.

"A-Ahri . . . ?" I spoke in a wobbly and confused voice. "W-Why are you doing this?"

"I just wanted to show . . . gratitude to you, dear," Ahri whispered at my ear, "for staying here . . . with me."

I nervously glanced sideways at her. "What do you m-mean?"

"Whenever I wake up from the . . . _dream_ and get out of my room, nobody was there," Ahri sniffled sadly. But then her voice changed to a more positive tone. "But then, you came into my life, always there in the morning."

She started to rub her cheek against mine, which made me moan slightly with pleasure. "You're an angel, Jeffric. A true angel . . ."

"Thank y-you," I squeaked while slightly smiling nervously.

"Sleep tight, my darling," she said sleepily while crawling backward on the sofa, letting go of my arms in the process, and nestled her head on my chest, her hands now hugging me as if I was a teddy bear.

"You too, Ahri," I whispered back. I glanced downwards and saw that Ahri was smiling while her eyes were closed.

Before I knew it, I heard her breathing softly. Ahri was now sleeping.

Then I suddenly realized how . . . heartwarming the feeling of being hugged passionately by someone was. My body felt really warm, like as if I was in front of a cozy campfire, its warmth engulfing my body.

I smiled down at her and placed my right hand on her head, gently patting it and her pair of fox ears with care.

"Have a great dream . . . my lovely fox," I whispered while hugging her back. Then, I closed my eyes, drifting into sleep.


	34. Chapter 21

**(A/N)**

 **Hey guys, I think it is time for a Q &A because this story is almost reaching it's one year of existence. If there is anything that you want to ask me, please leave a comment (please question me because if there are only a few questions the Q&A might never happen).**

 **I'll receive questions until July 27th.**

 **And always, thank you for loving this fanfic!**

* * *

It was a world of blue, nothing except the quiet whispers and faint apparitions floating by. And a figure in a long dark hood that had flames instead of a head was floating in the middle of it, his hands clasped as if he was praying to divine entities.

The figure was the Devourer of Souls.

His clasped hands were engulfed in dark smoke, splitting into many different directions like chains trying to hold multiple things together.

Suddenly, a red apparition started to form in front of him.

The Devourer of Souls stared at the red apparition when it started to become clear enough to make out what it was.

At first, the Devourer of Souls thought that it was the boy that he'd talked to yesterday. But soon, he noticed that the 'person' in front of him wasn't the boy.

This 'person' had red eyes, instead of green. And, he had multiple burn marks on his body, some burnt through the clothes that he was wearing, leaving behind holes that showed his burnt skin. And some burns were so severe that they showed the part of darkened bone underneath.

 **"The Devourer of Souls,"** the 'person' said mockingly, **"it's nice to see you."**

"Who are you?" the Devourer of Souls asked. "You look like the boy, but you're not him."

 **"Let's just say I'm his evil personality that is imprisoned in the deepest depths of his soul."** His face contorted into an insanity-filled grin when he said that.

"Are you the entity that's trying to control this orb?"

 **"Yes,"** the entity answered. **"How did you know?"**

"Your burn marks," the Devourer of Souls said, "I recognize your burn marks. I was burned by the orb and the burn marks looked similar to yours."

The entity clapped tauntingly. **"How clever."**

"Why are you here, foolish boy?" The Devourer of Souls sounded annoyed. "And how did you know my name?"

 **"I heard you and Jeffric, the boy, talking,"** the entity answered, **"I'm a part of him after all."** Then, he crossed his arms. **"And I'm here to make a deal with you."**

"What deal?"

 **"You're the one who is detaining the power of this orb, right?"** The entity looked around. **"If you let me control this thing, I'll spare you."**

The Devourer of Souls chuckled humorlessly. "Boy, I'm stuck in here. There is no way you can free me from this prison."

The entity broke into a peal of crazy laughter. **"I already know that. I was just trying to trick you."** Then, he stared directly at the Devourer of Souls. **"I suppose that you're not foolish enough to be tricked."**

"I'm smart enough to know that I should never make a deal with an entity like you."

 **"Well, _pal_ , you just blew the easy way out of the window."** The entity snickered. **"I guess I should take control of this ting by force."**

"Don't do it, boy," The Devourer of Souls spoke in a serious tone, "you wouldn't be able to handle the amount of hatred this object has. Look at what it did to me."

Even though the Devourer of Souls had no eyes, the entity felt his eyes staring at him with intensity. "It will burn and devour you, particle by particle until there is nothing left of you."

The entity stared at his burning form and smiled maliciously.

 **"Don't worry about it,"** the entity finally said smugly, and he started to fade. **"You may be the devourer—"** the Devourer of Souls saw the now almost faint silhouette of the entity raising his hand in front of his eyes and balling it into a fist **"—but I will be the master."**

Then, the entity disappeared completely.

* * *

I placed a cloth soaked with all sorts of herb juices on Ahri's back, where the wolf claws had made their marks.

Ahri winced while letting out a silent cry of pain.

"A-Are you ok?" I asked her, concern in my voice.

"Yes." Ahri winced again. "I'm fine . . . thank you."

I carefully and slowly rubbed the cloth on the slash marks, trying hard to not cause pain again.

A moment later, I removed the cloth.

The scars weren't had stopped bleeding, but I had to take precautions for them not to be infected.

"Don't move around frequently, Ahri," I said while standing up from the bed, feeling that the slash marks were there because of me, "you might open up the scars."

"Don't worry about me, _Iminha_." Ahri smiled gratefully at me, her golden eyes twinkling with sadness and gratitude.

"I'll go now." I crouched down and started to put all the bottles of colored substances and the brushes in the sack while picking up the unfinished painting of the tree.

When I stood up again, Ahri had already stood up from the bed and she leaned forward and kissed my forehead. "Have a nice day, Jeffric."

I smiled at her, to look as if everything was ok. "You too, Ahri."

Then I left, feeling empty and weak.

* * *

Ahri looked at Jeffric walking out of the cave and when he was gone, she collapsed onto her knees while bowing her head.

She failed him.

She wished that nothing bad would happen to that poor boy, but because of her, he experienced what causing a massacre felt like.

She still didn't know how his arms changed into those nightmarish things, but she didn't care.

She suddenly remembered herself devouring all the life essence of the inhabitance of an entire coastal village. She remembered the lifeless bodies lying on the ground, their empty eyes staring into nothingness.

Ahri had felt a feeling of deep sorrow that forced her to question her own existence after she had done that. Now, she was feeling it again.

 _Is my existence just harm to others . . . ?_

That thought echoed through her mind as she stared at the cave ground and saw a tear landing on its sandy surface.

She wiped her eyes while trying hard not to sob.

 _It isn't time for self-pity, Ahri! Wake up!_ She told herself in her mind. _Look at Jeffric . . . he is going to the village to earn things in order to improve your life in this cave even though what he'd experienced yesterday . . . you need to comfort him, not yourself! So come up with an idea, Ahri!_

She stood up slowly while thinking of several things at once.

 _. . . I met him exactly a year ago_ , Ahri thought, _and he never had a proper birthday . . ._

Then, an idea popped into her head that might comfort Jeffric.

 _A late birthday celebration._

* * *

I was walking through the woods, heading toward the village.

 _She saw it_ , I thought despairingly. _She saw me slaughtering those bandits . . ._

I knew that she didn't hate me for what I've done, but still . . .

I stopped walking and leaned sideways on a tree, my body suddenly feeling as if I was being suffocated.

I whizzed, trying to breathe properly, but it felt like a rock was pressed against my stomach and chest.

 _She saw it . . . she saw blood . . . dead bodies . . . how can I forgive myself?_

I grasped my chest tightly with my left hand while several beads of sweat started to trickle down my face and my eyes grew wide in panic.

 _She'll never forget it . . . she will always see me as a person that'd killed several people . . . I need to do something._

I thought desperately for something, anything that could heal the fracture in our friendship that was caused by me.

I suddenly remembered Ahri asking when my birthday was yesterday. Then I remembered what she'd told me a few months ago.

Back then, I'd asked her when her birthday was because I became curious after seeing a family celebrating their youngest son's birthday in a house in the village while I was heading back toward the cave.

 _"I don't have a birthday, Jeffric. Nobody taught me when it is."_

Birthday.

That was it!

 _If I celebrate her birthday . . . maybe . . . just maybe . . . she would forget about what happened!_

It was a bizarre idea, I know, but I was desperate.

Desperate enough to jump off a cliff.

* * *

I was now inside the stall of the woman that drew paintings. The woman had brought another wooden worktable and a chair where I could draw my paintings when she let me trade in her stall.

The woman looked up from her worktable when I entered.

"You . . . are . . . here . . ." She said while smiling slightly.

"Yes . . . I'm really sorry about not coming here yesterday," I apologized, "something . . . 'important' happened."

"It's . . . ok . . . Jeffric . . ." She smiled and went back to work. "Things . . . happens . . . yes?"

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me nodding, and sat down on my chair.

I put the sack down and pulled all the things out and placed them on the worktable. Then, I started to work.

I continued drawing the painting of the tree, but it felt as if my hand was resisting me, as memories of yesterday, emerged out of my mind because it kept on stopping and shuddering. But thankfully, I finished drawing the painting.

I put it on the corner of the worktable.

There was a stack of parchments on the ground next to my worktable, so, I picked the parchment on the top, placed it on my worktable, and looked down at it, trying to think about what to draw.

The memories kept on nagging me, reminding me how I felt back then as I unleashed my anger at the bandits.

I tried to ignore it and tried harder to think of an idea, but it wasn't easy.

Suddenly I came up with an idea.

The feeling I'd felt as I slaughtered the bandits . . . it was still fresh in my mind. What if I could describe it by drawing it on this parchment?

I started to draw pink flowers that were formed into a human shape that was standing in the middle. But there was a hole in the middle of the chest where I hadn't drawn any flowers. Then, I started to draw flowers with dark and red petals in the hole, as if the dark flowers were coming out of the shape's chest while drawing more of them around the pink flowers, like a fire burning an object.

When I finished, I looked at my work. It looked . . . kind of disturbing to me.

The woman was taking a rest while doing something that seemed to be her hobby. It was playing a musical instrument. The woman had told me that the instrument's name was _haegeum_ , and I had to say that the sounds it made were really good.

If you could put a despairing soul into an instrument and play it, it would sound like the instrument.

And, she had been teaching me for quite a while too.

 _Haegeum_ had a rod-like neck, a hollow wooden soundbox, and two silk strings, and was held vertically on the knee of the performer and played with a bow. It was a musical instrument played with a wooden bow between two lines, standing in line with a large wooden block standing vertically on top of the ring box.

At first, the strings slightly hurt my fingers. But my fingers got used to them after more practices.

"Ma'am, I finished drawing for the day," I said.

The woman stopped playing the musical instrument and stood up. She looked at the two paintings on my worktable and smiled.

"Great . . . job . . . Jeffric." She patted me on the shoulders. Then, she gently picked both of the paintings and placed them on the table, where people who were going around the marketplace to buy things could see.

"It . . . is . . . already . . . lunch . . . time," the woman said, and she handed me an apple.

I smiled gratefully at her. "Thank you so much!"

It was lunchtime when I walked around the village, looking at new items selling in the market place or walk through the magical forest of Ionia.

After I'd eaten the apple, I was about to walk to the nearest shop to find something that would be a great present when I heard a wonderful sound. I looked toward the direction where it had come from and saw a crowd of people standing around a gigantic tree in the middle of the marketplace. The tree was the place where the villagers honored the heroic people that had fought and died against this empire called 'Noxus' that invaded Ionia some or many years ago.

There were always people who had honored the dead by placing flowers on the roots, but I'd never seen a crowd like this gathered around it.

The curiosity got the better of me and I pushed gently through the crowd, toward the tree where the wonderful sounds of music were coming.

When I finally arrived at the front of the crowd, I gasped.

A woman with really long twin blue ponytails was playing wonderful music with a floating musical instrument that had several long strings on it. She was wearing a sleeveless long blue dress that was gleaming in the sun while a pair of ornaments made of gold held the twin ponytails.

She had her eyes closed while weaving her fingers across the strings, creating the beautiful music that was now floating through the air.

The music was calm and sad, and I somehow quickly understood that she was playing for the people who'd sacrificed for Ionia.

I closed my eyes, flavoring her music.

When the music ended, I opened my eyes and I found myself staring at the woman's blue eyes.

She was staring right back at me!


	35. Chapter 22

**(A/N)**

 **Hey, guys. I decided to scrap the idea of a Q &A and came up with a new idea. I can't tell you what this new idea is, but I'll do my best to make it enjoyable. Thank you so much for reading! :)**

* * *

Ahri was wearing the gray hooded cloak that covered her fox ears and her nine foxtails. She was hurriedly running toward the direction of the village through the rows of gigantic trees and bushes.

Then, she suddenly tripped on a tree root that was sticking out of the ground and she fell, face first, onto the ground.

She groaned while standing up slowly. It was soon going to be lunchtime, and she knew that Jeffric was going to take a break soon.

She was about to continue running but stopped when she felt that someone was standing behind her. She froze while trying to look behind by moving only her eyes to the side while not turning her head but it was useless.

She stood there for a moment, not moving at all.

Then, she whirled around while summoning a destructive sphere in her right hand, expecting to see something dangerous.

Instead, she saw a woman standing just a few meters away.

The woman was young and beautiful. She had long brown hair that reached her back and a pair of sparkling green eyes. She was wearing a long green gown entirely made of plants and flowers and she wasn't wearing any shoes. Her face was a little bit hollow like a person who was starved. She radiated light around her, making the plants and trees around her look more life-like.

In short; she resembled Jeffric.

"How did you—?!" Ahri stepped back away from the woman while confusion filled her mind. She was confused because the woman really resembled Jeffric, the boy she'd known almost for a year.

 _How can two people look so similar?_

A welcoming smile spread across the woman's face, her green eyes looking directly into Ahri's golden eyes.

"Hello Ahri, the Nine-Tailed Fox." Her voice sounded like the cool wind blowing through the forest of Ionia. "It's my honor to finally meet you."

"What do you want from me?" Ahri asked while nervously tightening the cloak around her body with her hands. The woman seemed friendly, but Ahri was still cautious.

"There is no need to be scared, Ahri," the woman spoke in a reassuring voice. "I'm just here to tell you something important about your little friend, Jeffric."

Ahri froze. "How . . . how did you know his name?"

Suddenly, sadness filled her eyes, her smile turning into a sad one.

"I'm his mother."

Ahri was stunned.

 _Jeffric's mother?_ Ahri thought while looking at the woman in front of her. _But she doesn't fit the description . . ._

She had seen his mother through his memories when she was devouring his life essence. The woman in front of her didn't look like the mother that was shown in his memories at all.

"It's a complicated story," the woman explained. "I was Jeffric's father's first wife. He was a lovely man, always warm as the sunlight, gentle as a breeze." Then suddenly, her sad smile turned into an expression of someone who'd lost something valuable to him or her while her eyes looked like they were seeing something in the distance. "But everything went wrong when the Noxus invaded." Tears started to trickle down her soft cheek, so she wiped them away and continued with a slightly wavering voice. "Jeffric was only a baby when it happened. The Noxians . . . they invaded our village and killed his beloved sister . . . he blamed me for her death and turned his back on me and left with baby Jeffric . . . since then, I observed my ex-husband from the distance and witness him changing into a monster . . ."

She wiped away her tears more and smiled apologetically at Ahri. "I-I'm really sorry . . . I got sidetracked."

"It's ok, ma'am," Ahri assured the woman while trying to decide whether or not to comfort this woman or stay where she was.

"Where was I . . . oh yes, something important about Jeffric." She gave her another apologetic smile. "I guess you're wondering what important thing I want to tell you about Jeffric, yes?"

Ahri nodded while grasping the cloak wounded tightly around her nervously.

"Well . . . do you know the reason why streams of life essence flow into him while he's asleep every night?"

Ahri shook her head, her ears poking up in curiosity from underneath the hood.

The woman looked around as if she was fearing some other people might hear the things that she was about to tell Ahri.

Then she lowered her voice into a whisper. "It's because, inside him, there's a powerful artifact that collects life essence at night time. The life essence filled with hatred, to be more precise."

Then, she stared at Ahri, now a worried expression on her face. "And that artifact caused him to go berserk yesterday. The previous vengeance-filled owner of the artifact, the one who created it to avenge his lover's death, was overwhelmed and got devoured by the hatred inside it. The creator's soul is now inside the artifact, and he's doing his best to prevent it from devouring Jeffric. Even though he's doing his best . . . someday, the artifact might . . . devour Jeffric." The worried expression suddenly became a hopeful one. "But there is still a chance, Ahri. Maybe . . . just maybe . . . if you comfort him, heal his wounds caused by his past . . . he could perhaps avoid that fate."

Ahri didn't know what to say. Many questions went through her mind but before she could speak, the woman spoke first.

"Farewell, Nine-Tailed fox." She started to step backward, and Ahri noticed in horror that the woman was slowly disintegrating into ashes. "My physical form is falling apart . . . Please . . . take good care of him . . . for me . . . since the Noxus invasion, I have become weak . . . not strong enough to withhold a physical form." Then she looked down at the ground as if to regret something. "And . . . and please don't tell Jeffric that you've met me . . . I don't want him to . . . to think that I've left him behind on his own . . . because it's not true . . . because . . . I've watched him since his father took him away . . ."

 _A mortal form . . . ?_

"Wait!" Ahri yelled while stepping forward, reaching her hand toward the woman. "At least tell me who you are!"

The woman stared deep into her eyes. "I'm the spirit of Ionia, dear Nine-Tailed Fox."

Then the woman completely disintegrated into ashes and they were blown away by the wind.

* * *

I stared back at the blue-haired woman. Then looked around, thinking that she was looking at someone else. But I understood that she wasn't because other villagers were staring at me when they noticed her doing it.

I stared back at her and pointed at myself.

"M-Me . . . ?"

She nodded while smiling.

"Uhh . . . do you want me to do something . . . ?" I asked, still confused. _By the way . . . why does she look . . . familiar?_

Suddenly, the blue-haired woman played a few notes of the song that I knew really well on her instrument.

It was the song that I'd played with the _haegeum_ two days ago while I was taking a break from drawing a painting!

 _How did she know that song?_

That was when I realized where I'd seen her.

"Now I remember!" My eyes grew wide in realization. "You saw me playing my instrument two days ago, in front of the stall!"

While I was playing that song back then, I'd seen a person wearing a long white cloak that covered most of his or her body, including his or her head. But I saw blue hair poking out beneath the hood.

That person was the woman in front of me!

Then, she pointed at me and tilted her instrument, miming rubbing a bow stick across the strings. After that, she pointed at herself

"You want me to . . . to play the song with you . . . ?"

The woman nodded, her smile growing a little bit bigger.

Other villagers made a surprised gasp.

"She rarely asks someone to play a song together!" a middle-aged woman who was standing next to me gasped.

"That girl must be really good at playing a musical instrument," a girl who looked to be about 17 complimented while studying me.

"He's a boy," a boy about her age who was standing next to her told her. "And I think I know why Sona wants to play a song together with him. I heard that boy playing his _haegeum_ before and it was stunning!"

I looked around in a mixture of pride and embarrassment. Then, I looked back at the blue-haired woman who presumably was named 'Sona.'

"I'll bring my instrument right now," I told her.

She nodded while playing a few notes on her musical instrument as if she was warming up her fingers.

I hurriedly came out of the crowd and headed toward the stall of the kind woman.

"Ma'am," I said when I stopped in front of the stall.

The woman was now drawing something from her worktable. She looked up when I called her.

"How . . . may . . . I . . . help . . . you . . . Jeffric?"

"Umm . . . may I borrow the _haegeum_?"

"Of course, you may." The woman stopped drawing and picked up the musical instrument, including the bow, and handed them into my outstretched hands.

"Th-Thank you so much."

I bowed my head, showing gratitude toward her and went back to the place where the woman named 'Sona' was.

The villagers let me through, and I was back at the center of the crowd.

"I-I'm ready," I said while standing in front of the woman named Sona.

The woman gestured at the ground in front of me. I decided that she wanted me to sit in front of her.

I slowly stepped forward and sat down and turned around to see the crowd. I was holding the _haegeum_ with the left hand while holding the bow with my right. I looked around at the crowd while trying to breathe calmly.

Things had happened quite quickly. Just some moments ago, I was about to find something suitable for Ahri's present. Now, I was about to play a song with this woman who I presumed was famous while being surrounded by a crowd of villagers in the village.

I didn't know what destiny was thinking.

I felt myself starting to panic as my mind processed that all the eyes were looking at me, sweat starting to trickle down my back while my eyes trembled in my sockets. The last time a crowd of people stared at me was back in my village when I was surrounded by the kids in the village and got beaten while teasing me how different I was from them. I tried hard to ignore my panic and put my fingers on the strings of the instrument that I was holding while pressing the bow on the lower part of the strings. Then, I glanced back at the woman named Sona.

She gave me an encouraging smile which helped me press my panic down.

I looked back at the crowd and gulped.

For me, this was the first time performing in front of a crowd, and I hoped against hope that I wouldn't screw up.

Then, I started to play the song.


	36. Chapter 23

I closed my eyes and started to slowly stroke the bow across the two lines of the _haegeum_ , making the instrument produce the sorrowful sound that rang out to the crowd. I played the notes that the kind woman had taught me when I was practicing playing the instrument while taking a break before. The sound of the _haegeum_ sounded as if my broken soul was singing its pain, telling the crowd how I'd felt in the past.

I heard Sona playing her instrument from behind me, her instrument's soft sounds floating around her like a soft and warm breeze gently blowing around me.

Then, I started to sing the song slowly while pouring my soul into my voice.

The song that Ahri had sung to me whenever I'd woken up crying in the middle of the night by a nightmare.

The song that Ahri had sung to me a month after we decided to live together while staring up at the stars in the heavens.

It was a song with no rhymes, but it didn't need rhymes to make it a song that warmed people's hearts.

.

 _There are many stories_

 _About how the stars were created_

 _But right now, I will tell you_

 _One of the many stories_

.

 _Once upon a time_

 _On the highest mountain in Runeterra_

 _There was a kingdom of angels_

 _Where no mortals dared to go_

.

 _In a house of a cruel noble_

 _His daughter lived under his wrath_

 _She had no friends to share a friendship_

 _She was all alone in the world_

.

 _In a house of a cruel noble_

 _A servant boy was badly treated_

 _He always cried at night in his small room_

 _With no one to tell him, 'it will be alright_.'

.

Then, I made my voice to sound hopeful, as if life was getting better. I started to stroke the bow more gently on the two strings of my instrument, and I heard Sona doing the same. She must've memorized this song when I was practicing two days ago because that was the only time when I saw her.

.

 _One day, the girl learned to pity_

 _The servant boy in her house_

 _Whenever her father's wrath scathed him_

 _She always comforted him with hope_

.

 _They became close friends_

 _Their friendship strong and powerful enough_

 _To even withstand every hardship_

 _That came in their way_

.

 _Their bonds shall never be broken_

 _Nor it shall die_

 _Nobody can break_

 _The connection between those two_

.

 _After years of being friends_

 _They both fell in love_

 _Promising each other_

 _To love forever_

.

Then, I made my voice sound devastated and sad as if I've lost everything, while heavily stroking my instrument. I heard Sona playing the instrument of hers with a deeper note.

.

 _But the noble found out_

 _Their secret relationship_

 _He scolded his daughter_

 _And beat the boy_

.

 _He locked up his daughter_

 _In the highest room in the tower_

 _While locking the servant boy_

 _In the underground dungeon_

.

 _The noble had separated them_

 _But not their spirit of love_

 _Every night and day_

 _They dreamed of each other_

.

Once again, I changed my voice to be more hopeful, and it started to sound happier when I started to reach the end of the song, my arms getting lighter and lighter. The sound of my _haegeum_ and the sound of Sona's instrument was intertwined like two paints mixing to make a new color, creating art like no other.

.

 _One day, the girl escaped_

 _From the clutches of her room_

 _And went down the dungeon_

 _To free the boy_

.

 _They escaped the house_

 _The guards chasing like demons_

 _Trying to drag them back to hell_

 _Where it is the clutches of the noble_

.

 _They flew up, up to the night sky_

 _Where there was only darkness_

 _With only the moon_

 _For their company_

.

 _They flew and flew_

 _Up, up through the cold night wind_

 _Until the guards_

 _Finally gave up and retreated_

.

 _They floated in the night sky_

 _Holding each other's hands_

 _While staring down at the dot_

 _Which is the kingdom on the mountain_

.

 _They stared at each other_

 _Their eyes meeting_

 _The boy asked the girl_

 _If this was a dream_

.

 _They finally understood_

 _That they were free_

 _From the clutches of the noble_

 _That have detained them for years_

.

 _They smiled at each other_

 _Happiness filling their hearts_

 _They hugged each other_

 _And tears fell from their eyes_

.

 _Their tears of happiness_

 _Spread around the night sky_

 _And people say those tears_

 _Became the stars_

.

When I finished the song, I opened my eyes and looked out at the crowd in front of me. They were all staring at us, their eyes wide open in awe.

Then, an old man started to clap. He looked to be one of the elders of the town, with his closed eyes, bald head, and his long white beard. He had this warm aura around him while a wise smile spread across his face.

"What a beautiful song," he said.

Then, everybody joined in, some even cheering at us.

I smiled sheepishly while blushing slightly. Then I realized something.

This was the first time in my life that people clapped or cheered . . . for me.

* * *

Ahri entered the village while deep in thought.

 _Jeffric has an artifact inside him . . ._ Ahri thought. _And he . . . he is the son of the spirit of . . . Ionia . . . ?_

Everything was happening so quickly for her; first, she learned that a dangerous artifact was inside Jeffric, then, she learned that the artifact could kill him, and finally, she learned that he was the son of the spirit of Ionia. Plus, she, the Nine-Tailed Fox, met Ionia herself!

She'd a lot of questions, but she'd a more important thing to do.

Buying Jeffric a late birthday present.

She started to walk toward the marketplace when she started to hear something . . . beautiful.

It was a song. A song that delivered the grief of the musician.

And it was coming from the market place.

She walked faster toward it, intrigued by the song.

 _Who is playing this?_

Then, when she entered the marketplace, she saw that a crowd was gathered in the middle of the place, around a gigantic tree.

She approached the crowd cautiously, tightening her cloak around her. Then, she slowly went through the crowd, getting closer to the center. Then, she finally reached the front.

What she saw was surprising.

Jeffric was sitting in front of a blue-haired woman, his eyes closed, his long brown hair, which was now long enough to reach his back, waving around him slightly by the wind while playing a musical instrument. The woman standing behind him was playing a musical instrument, too. The beautiful music was being created by them.

Ahri's mouth was slightly opened while fully immersed by the song, her gaze not moving from Jeffric.

He was stroking a bow across the instrument that he was holding, producing a mournful sound that touched her heart.

Then he started to sing.

She recognized the song.

 _That's the song that I always sang to him . . ._

If the song produced by his instrument touched her heart, hearing him singing warmed it. His singing voice sounded . . . magical, as if it was a mixture of beauty and sorrow, beautiful but also sad.

Even an angel's singing voice from the song wouldn't match his voice.

When the song ended, Jeffric opened his eyes. The crowd was silent for a moment, still awed. Then, one started to clap and complimented him. Then all the people started to join in, some starting to cheer. Jeffric looked around while starting to blush. Then, he smiled sheepishly.

She joined in the clapping while looking at him proudly.

She was proud of his performance and was happy for him. She wanted to cheer for him, letting him know that she'd watched him singing and playing the music.

But she'd something to do.

She backed away until she was out of the crowd before he could see her.

She started to walk toward the nearest shop, while a thought struck her.

 _Ionia is an island continent of natural beauty and magic, mostly filled with artistic landscapes and magical creatures. Maybe Jeffric was given those gifts when he was born. Perhaps that's why he is talented at artistic things . . ._


	37. One Year Anniversary

"Let's finish this quickly!" A boy wearing a leather jacket said while placing a bowl of cookies onto a long table.

There were five people in a big room lit with a disco ball attached at the center of the ceiling, filling the darky room with all sorts of colorful lights, and there were three rows of long tables placed at the middle of it. And, a stage was placed at the end of the room, at the opposite side of the wall where the door was. Plus, there were shopping carts in front of the door, loaded with food like junk foods, tasty fruits, soda drinks, and etc.

The five people pulled them out from the carts one by one and carried them to the long tables, placing them evenly on the tables.

"Hey, Jeffric. Can you place the plastic cups, too?" One of the people asked.

That person was Jeffric.

Specifically; Jeffric from the Special Episodes universe.

"O-Ok, Big Jeffric!" Another person answered.

He was the younger Jeffric from the main storyline universe.

He hurriedly ran to the shopping carts and rummaged through them until he found the beg that contained the plastic cups that they'd bought.

He pulled the bag out of the shopping cart and ran back toward the long tables, pulling the cups out one by one and placing them on the long tables evenly.

"Ahri, can you throw me a bag of gummy bears?" A woman asked.

The woman was the Ahri from the Special Episodes universe (aka K/DA Ahri), who'd long blond hair and a pair of blond fox ears, wearing the K/DA outfit. Plus, she now had glittering purple nine crystal fox tails when her tails in the Special Episodes were the ordinary white nine fox tails.

This will be explained in the future.

"Ok, Ahri!" The Ahri from the main storyline universe answered and tossed her one of the begs of gummy bears that she was holding in her arms.

After a few minutes, the shopping carts were empty.

"Sir," younger Jeffric said while walking up to the boy wearing the leather jacket, "we finished setting the stuff."

"Nice work, guys!" the boy said while wiping his forehead that was beaded with sweat.

The boy wearing the leather jacket had long black hair that was tied to a ponytail. He'd dark eyes and a scar next to his left eye. Underneath his leather jacket, he was wearing a gray T-shirt with a skull on it. And he was wearing a pair of tattered jeans and a pair of sneakers.

"What time is it?" K/DA Ahri asked him.

The boy checked his digital wristwatch.

"5:54 PM."

"Six minutes left before the guests come!" she announced. "Jeffric, move the shopping carts out of this place, younger Jeffric, check the mic on the stage if it works properly, and Ahri—the other me—check the stage lights."

They quickly did these things. Older Jeffric pushed the shopping carts out of the room through the door, younger Jeffric tested the mic and saw that it worked properly, his voice ringing out of the speakers without any static, and Ahri from the main storyline turned on and off the stage lights that were attached on the ceiling over the stage by pushing the switches on the wall next to the stage and saw that they all were working properly.

"All set!" Ahri from the main storyline announced.

"Great job, guys," the boy said while smiling at them, "you all did great!"

Then, the entrance door opened, and people started to walk in.

"The guests have arrived!" younger Jeffric exclaimed and he accidentally tripped on the wire that was attached to the mic and fell backward on the stage, while still holding the mic in his right hand. "Ouch!"

"Jeffric, are you alright?!" Ahri from the main storyline cried out and ran toward him, jumping onto the stage to get to him.

Younger Jeffric massaged the back of his head while wincing in pain. "It doesn't hurt that much."

She helped him get up, and he was blushing as if he was embarrassed.

Soon, all the guests arrived, all chatting with themselves while eating the food or drinking sodas, listening and dancing to the songs that the speakers were blaring. The boy had linked his laptop with the two speakers that were placed on the stage.

The boy's laptop was going through the boy's music playlist which was filled with some punk rock music, some metal, EDMs, nightcore, synthwaves, pop songs from the early 2010s, some epic OSTs, and etc.

Meanwhile, older Jeffric and all the four members of the K/DA were chatting at the corner of the big room, near the stage.

"Jeffric, darling," K/DA Ahri purred while looking at the older Jeffric, "can you dance right now?"

"Umm . . ." Older Jeffric nervously hugged himself while trying not to meet her gaze. "I'm bad at dancing . . ."

He turned around and started to walk slowly away, like a thief trying his best not to get spotted by the police. But it was useless.

K/DA Ahri hugged him from behind, detaining his arms while rubbing her cheek against the back of his head.

"Ah, come on, Jeffric." She purred again. "I won't make fun of you."

"I kinda want to see him dancing," Kai'sa said eagerly while rubbing both of her hands.

"Me too," Akali agreed with her and gulped down the rest of the cola in her plastic cup.

"I'm curious too . . ." Evelynn said thoughtfully while glancing at Jeffric and Ahri at the corner of her eyes.

"B-B-But I'm terrible at it!" Jeffric protested, struggling to get out of Ahri's embrace.

"Don't worry," Akali assured him while taking out her smartphone, "I won't live stream your terrible dancing . . . cross my heart and hope to die."

Kai'sa glanced at Akali. Then she glanced down at Akali's smartphone that Akali was holding in her right hand while raising her eyebrow.

"What?" Akali said innocently while hiding her smartphone behind her back, smiling coolly at Kai'sa. "I'm being serious."

"If you don't dance Jeffric." Ahri smiled at him. "I'll not let you go until the party is over."

"Wait, wh-what?!" older Jeffric started to struggle more, but Ahri's arms were hard as iron.

Finally, older Jeffric gave in while sighing.

"Fine . . . I'll do it."

Ahri unleashed him and cheered.

Currently, the song ended and a new song was about to start.

"I wonder what the next song would be," Evelynn commented.

The next song started to play, and Akali looked up at the speakers.

"Hey! It's the ending OST of Gintama!" Akali exclaimed. "Samurai Heart!"

"Dance!" Dance! Dance!" Kai'sa and Ahri started to chant.

Jeffric started to move with the song, arms swinging tentatively while his body slowly moved sideways while glancing nervously at Ahri.

But he started to dance like crazy when the song started to get really exciting;

.

 _Hey! Hey! kotaete dareka imasenka?_

 _Zutto sagashite mo kotae nai ya_

.

Jeffric had his eyes closed, engrossed into the music while he danced to the music. He bobbed his head up and down with the music, his feet doing a shuffle dance. In short, he danced terribly.

Akali and Kai'sa were laughing like crazy while Ahri joined him, dancing next to him, and a few of the guests noticed older Jeffric and the K/DA Ahri dancing and they cheered for them.

Evelynn smiled while watching them dancing. She slid her pair of round purple sunglasses slightly down her nose to watch them with her own eyes.

While this was happening, younger Jeffric and Ahri from the main storyline universe were stuffing their mouths with gummy bears while standing next to one of the long tables.

"This is so delicious!" Ahri exclaimed through her mouth stuffed with gummy bears.

"Yeah!" Jeffric chewed the gummy bears and gulped them down. Then, he poured himself a cup of cola and drank it down. His eyes suddenly opened wide as a grin spread across his face as the tasty flavor filled his mouth and throat. "Kya! This is delicious too! Try this one, Ahri."

Jeffric poured cola in another plastic cup while putting his empty one on the long table. Then, he gently handed the cup of cola to Ahri.

"Thank you, _Iminha_." Ahri gave him a grateful smile and drank the cola. Her fox ears stood straight up while her nine fox tails started to wave around wildly as she closed her eyes while she exclaimed delightedly. "This is so tasty!"

"I know, right?" Jeffric beamed at her, being proud that he'd handed her the cup containing the drink. "I think no drink in Ionia can compete with this taste."

"What's this drink called?"

"Cola!"

While they were eating and drinking, the boy was standing near the stage, looking at his laptop. When the song ended, he paused the playlist and stepped onto the stage, turning on the stage lights. He picked up the mic which was placed in the middle of the stage and stared out at the crowd who were now looking at him while the stage lights made him shine.

"Hey readers," the boy spoke into the mic. "Welcome to my party!"

Everybody cheered and clapped.

"As you might have guessed by now," the boy continued, "my name is Kray98. And, no, I kinda don't look like this." He gestured at his face.

More cheers.

When the cheers subsided, Kray98 started to speak.

"Wow, I can't believe that it's already been a year since I started writing this book. I mean, I still remember myself writing the prologue!"

Kray98 smiled at the crowd.

"I just want to tell you guys that I'm really, really, really thankful for you guys reading and supporting this fanfic."

Everybody cheered again.

"Before we continue the party, I'll take a few questions!" Kray98 announced. "You can ask me any questions. Anything."

A person in the crowd raised his hand.

"Are you single?"

Kray98 smiled awkwardly.

"Of course, I'm single!"

Another person raised her hand.

"How did you create Jeffric?"

Kray98 thought deeply for a moment.

"Well, I wanted to represent my innocent side for the main character of the fanfic, so I thought of a lot of character concepts in my head. Later, I decided to settle on the shota concept because shota looks really innocent, and I thought that it'd fit the character that I was creating for the book. You see, I wanted to create a character that the readers want to protect against harm. And, I thought that Ahri deserves a character like Jeffric."

Kray98 noticed that the K/DA Ahri had her arm over older Jeffric's shoulder while Ahri from the main universe had her hands on the younger Jeffric's shoulders who was standing in front of her, looking at Kray98 with smiles on their faces.

Kray98 smiled back.

"I have a question!" A young man in the crowd yelled. "Can you tell me why you settled with green eyes and brown hair for Jeffric?"

"Well, as you might know, Jeffric is a son of the spirit of Ionia," Kray98 explained. "Ionia is a magical land filled with life and art, with beautiful landscapes. I wanted to show this through Jeffric. That's why Jeffric is good at painting pictures, singing, and playing a musical instrument. But on the character designing point, it was tricky. At first, I was about to go with green hair and brown eyes, to depict nature and rich soil. But something about the green hair kept on bothering me for some reason. So, I changed his hair to brown and his eyes to green. I'd decided to go with this because, to me, having green eyes felt way better than having green hair."

"Is Jeffric from the main storyline and the Jeffric from the Special Episodes look the same?" a girl yelled.

"Nope. Currently, Jeffric from the main storyline looks like a young little shota with big and innocent eyes. But, Jeffric from the Special Episodes looks like an innocent shota who looks similar to Ahri, except he is a cute version of her."

"Are Jeffric and Ahri related?" a woman yelled.

"No, of course not!"

"Then why do they look similar in the Special Episodes?"

"It's just a coincidence in the Special Episodes. But, in the main storyline, it will be explained much later."

A boy raised his hand.

"Will other champions make an appearance in the main storyline?" he asked. "I mean, Sona made an appearance like one or two chapters ago."

"Yes, some will make an appearance," Kray98 answered. "But who will be making an appearance will remain a secret."

Suddenly, a male teenager thrust his hand into the air and shook it violently while shouting; "Me! Me! Me! Me!"

"Yes?" Kray98 asked while pointing at him.

The male teenager smiled broadly at him. "Will there be a lemon?!"

Kray98 stepped backward while his eyes grew wide in shock. "W-W-W-Wait . . . What?!"

Everybody in the crowd said "Ohhhhhhhh!" except for younger Jeffric and the older Jeffric.

Akali was laughing like crazy, Kai'sa was looking at younger Jeffric, Ahri from the main storyline, older Jeffric, and K/DA Ahri while blushing slightly, Evelynn had her hand on her mouth while laughing like loyalty, and K/DA Ahri was blushing like crazy while looking sideways at older Jeffric. Ahri from the main storyline was doing exactly the same, except she looked sideways at younger Jeffric while blushing. Older and younger Jeffric looked around, confusion filling their faces.

"What's a lemon?" Younger Jeffric asked older Jeffric.

"I-I don't know . . ." Jeffric scratched his head. "I wonder what that means."

Evelynn suddenly appeared behind younger Jeffric as if she had come out of the shadows. She leaned forward and whispered into the younger Jeffric's ear.

When she finished whispering, Jeffric whirled around and stared at her as if he was shocked beyond the limit, while blushing like crazy. His big and innocent green eyes were opened wide, and he was opening and closing his mouth.

"Hey!" Ahri from the main storyline yelled and quickly ran in front of Jeffric, hugging him protectively, her back facing Evelynn while turning her head to glare at her. "Don't you dare corrupt my boy!"

Evelynn laughed. "Well, I'm sorry." Then, she disappeared into the shadows. Then, a moment later, she reappeared beside the K/DA Ahri.

"It's ok, Jeffric," Ahri said soothingly as she patted his back while still hugging him. "You'll forget about what she had told you."

Younger Jeffric nodded while hugging her back.

"Ahhh . . ." Kray98 was blushing too while nervously holding the mic. ". . . I don't know yet. But I'm 100% sure that there won't be a lemon in the main storyline while Jeffric is still underaged."

Ahri breathed a sigh of relief.

"Please write one!" the male teenager yelled. "I think Jeffric deserves it!"

"Well . . . I'll think about it." Kray98 was moving slightly to left and right, wanting to skip this topic.

Then, a young woman raised her hand calmly.

"Yes?"

"I wanted to ask you this question for a long time," the woman said. "Can you tell us why you started writing this fanfic?"

Kray98 paused for a moment. Then, he smiled. "Well, certainly."

He looked around, to check if everybody was watching him. Then he started to explain the reason.

"Well, the idea of writing this fanfic came to me after I read Ahri's lore. When I started playing League of Legends, I began playing Ahri. Something about her splash art got my attention. After several matches with Ahri, I found out the existence of the Universe page in the League of Legends site. I've to say that the universe of the League of Legends is breathtaking."

"You're breathtaking!" A man in the crowd suddenly yelled.

Everybody laughed, and the laughter grew when Kray98 posed like Keanu Reeves from E3 2019 and answered; "You're breathtaking!"

Then, Kray98 followed Keanu Reeves's moves while yelling; "You're all breathtaking!"

Everybody laughed for a long time because of the reference.

Finally, when the laughter died out, Kray98 continued explaining to the crowd.

"The universe of League of Legends is so breathtaking that I want to be reincarnated into this world! I mean, for example, the design of Ionian beach is so beautiful that I wanna visit there in person! After I checked the world of League of Legends, I checked Ahri's champion biography and her short stories and I felt sympathy for her because well . . ."

Kray98 looked nervously at the Ahri from the main storyline who gave him a smile and a nod.

". . . her background story is really sad. She was abandoned by her parents, and she got drunk on consuming life essence from humans, killing off many people. She even killed her former lover. The grief of killing many humans devastated her. But after locking herself for some time, she comes back to the world and sets out in search of others like her with the twin gemstones for the only clue for her origin. That is where her story ends for now. But her lore was updated in 2017 if I'm correct. So, I yearned for more, so I checked the internet for her fanfics. And guess what the result of the Google search was."

Kray98's voice started to tremble. "That was when I found out that most of the League of Legends community thought Ahri as a sl*t. Most people only had fantasies of f*cking her. I couldn't just accept this because Ahri wasn't a sl*t! I mean, I even checked her old lore and there was no mention of her being something like that! I had to do something. I had to do something to make this right, but I didn't know what to do. Then an idea came to me. The idea of writing a good fanfic for Ahri came to me like a shooting star. And . . . there's another reason why I started to write this fanfic."

Kray98 smiled sadly at the crowd. "I had a pretty bad childhood. At elementary school, I didn't fit in and was treated like dust by most of my classmates. And, my parents used to fight a lot in front of me and my sister. I still remember this one time when my dad yelled so loudly that I almost cried."

Kray98 paused for a moment. Then, he continued. "A year ago, I felt as if I was reaching my limit of endurance. My dad had started to take anger management pills like some years ago, but my dad has changed from a person who had an anger managing issue to a super-annoying and embarrassing idiot who always sticks his nose into other people's businesses. I think his age, which is over 50, is getting to his brain. And, my school life wasn't doing well either. I was the laughingstock of my class, and my friends betrayed me because I was just too weird for them."

Kray98 sighed heavily. "I felt really lonely and depressed. I had lost my friends, and I never had that perfect girl who somehow could see the good part of me in my life. But let's face it, most of us will never have that perfect girl or a boy. But I desperately needed someone to comfort me, but nobody was there. So, I started to form an idea of maybe writing something to comfort and heal myself. That idea and the idea of writing a good fanfic for Ahri got morphed into one, and I started to write this fanfic."

Kray98 started to smile at the crowd. "After I began writing this fanfic, I started to feel less lonely and depressed. And, I started to meet people who liked my fanfic and shared the same thought of Ahri not being a sl*t."

He pressed his right palm on his chest. "Thank you FNAFFRENZYCAT7, PhantomThiefNo24, XanaShadow, LizardoInABox, Spectrer, and many, many more! Thank you so much for your support! If it weren't for you guys, this book would've become one of the discontinued fanfics strewn across the internet. Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Everybody burst into cheers while clapping wildly.

"Ok, people!" Kray98 yelled while putting the mic on the floor. "Let's continue the party!"

Older Jeffric had already pressed the space bar on Kray98's laptop, and the playlist continued, the song Kids in the Dark by All Time Low starting to blare out of the speakers. Kray98 turned off the stage lights and jumped off the stage and landed in front of it.

Then, he joined the dancing crowd.


	38. Chapter 24

Ahri stepped into the nearest shop, a place filled with rows of wooden tables displaying things like precious stones, jewelry, scrolls, etc.

 _Huh, this village doesn't have a lot of shops_ , Ahri thought.

It was true. The village's market place mostly consisted of wooden stalls for merchants and a few shops.

The owner of the shop, who was standing behind a wooden counter that was placed at the right side of the room, was a short young woman, with raven hair that reached her shoulders and a pair of brown eyes that were filled with ever-day happiness. She'd a positive smile on her face as if it was a great day for her.

"Hello!" The woman greeted Ahri enthusiastically. "What can I do for you today?"

Ahri tightened the gray cloak around her, making sure that her fox ears and the foxtails won't be spotted and turned to face the owner.

"I'm looking for something that might be good for a gift," Ahri said while looking around the shop.

"Oh, a gift!" The young woman exclaimed while clapping her hands once in delight. Then she gave her a sly smile. "Is it for someone . . . special?"

"What?" Ahri blinked. Then, she shook her head violently. "N-No! It's just for a close friend of mine!"

 _And Jeffric is illegal!_

The young woman laughed playfully. "I was just joking! Now . . . I wonder what will be good for a gift . . ." The woman made a thoughtful expression while tapping her index finger on her chin. Then, she snapped her fingers. "I know!" She exclaimed. "How about clothes?"

Ahri thought for a moment. Jeffric was still wearing the brown tunic and tattered gray pants. Yes, he needed new clothes.

"That's a great idea," Ahri said while smiling. "Do you have any clothes that would fit a boy a head shorter than me?"

"I think I have some," the young woman said. "Just wait a second."

There was a wooden closet behind her. The young woman opened its doors and started to rummage through the contents inside it. "It's a good thing that I'd put the closet for the clothes behind me!"

After making confused noises as if she couldn't find the thing that she was looking for, she finally made a triumphant cheer while pulling out something.

"Do you think your little friend would like this?" The young woman asked while beaming at Ahri.

The young woman was holding a leaf-like green and white robe that was decorated with golden lines that reminded Ahri of vines. It consisted of layers of fabric, and a belt was wounded around the waist section. It looked graceful, and, in Ahri's mind, it'd look perfect on Jeffric, matching his pair of green eyes.

"I think he'd like this a lot." Ahri smiled gratefully at the young woman.

"So, what'd you give me for this robe?"

Ahri was dreading this moment. She knew what she'd to do, but still, it made her feel sad.

She slowly pulled out the twin gemstones that Jeffric had tried to steal from her almost a year ago and showed it to the woman, her hand trembling slightly.

They were the only clues of her origin, but after years and years of searching, she'd found nothing, nothing at all. Whenever she'd thought that she was onto something, it led to nowhere. She didn't find her parents, and that'd made her feel lonely as if she nobody was there which was true. And the fact that she'd killed her previous lover didn't help. But it all changed when she'd met Jeffric. He filled in the empty void of her life, like a puzzle piece inserted into an empty section of the puzzle board. She no longer needed the pair of gemstones, and she didn't need to find her origin anymore.

She smiled slightly.

Because Jeffric was now next to her.

The young woman looked at the twin gemstones, her eyes steadily growing wide in shock. Then, she looked at Ahri, her mouth opening and closing as if it was trying to say something.

Finally, the woman spoke.

"A-Are those the works of Ymelo?"

Ahri nodded.

"I've never seen his work in my life!" The woman exclaimed like a girl who just discovered a treasure. "So beautiful . . ."

"Will you trade with these?" Ahri asked.

"O-Of course! But this is so valuable for just a robe . . ."

The young woman crouched down and picked up something or somethings from the ground which was or were obscured behind the wooden counter. Then, she put the things on the wooden counter.

They were three small wooden cases, about the size of a human hand.

"I'll give you these with the robe," the young woman said while beaming at Ahri.

The young woman opened up one of the small wooden cases and Ahri gasped out loud.

"Are you sure about this?" Ahri asked her, surprise visible in her eyes.

The woman nodded. "Of course, I'm sure!"

Ahri was surprised because the small wooden case had a small gold bar inside it.

Ahri gently put the pair of gemstones on the wooden counter, feeling as if she was putting them into a running river, watching them go far and far away from her.

* * *

After the performance was over, most of the people went back to their work, but few chatted excitedly about our song.

I looked around at Sona and smiled at her while holding the bow and the _haegeum_ in my left hand.

"Thank you so much, Sona," I said and bowed at her, showing my gratitude. "I enjoyed playing the song with you."

She gave me a bow, too, and gently smiled at me.

Then I remembered that I'd to buy a gift for Ahri.

"Oh, Sona . . ." I looked nervously at her. "May I ask you a question?"

Sona nodded, her blue ponytails moving slightly.

"Do you know what women like the most?" I asked her. Then blushed when I realized how stupid that question sounded like.

Of course, she knew because she was a woman too!

Sona nodded.

"Then which one is better; giving clothes as a gift or giving precious stones as a gift?"

Sona tapped her chin with her index finger, deep in thought. Then, she stopped tapping her chin with her and held it out in front of her, her index finger pointing the sky.

I didn't know what she meant just for a moment, then realized that she meant that she chose the first option.

"Thank you so much for your answer." I bowed at her again. "And, It was a pleasure meeting you."

I was about to go to the nearest stall or shop that sold clothes when she put a hand on my shoulder. I looked at her, a little bit confused.

She was rummaging through a pocket of her blue dress. Then, she pulled out something and handed it to me.

The thing she'd handed to me was a long flute-like instrument made of wood. It had several holes on its side where a person could block them with the fingers while playing it, to produce different sounds. And there was an accessory entirely made of red strings attached near the tip of the instrument, a small white pearl attached on the red string that linked the rest of the accessory and the instrument.

"Are you giving this to me?" I asked her in surprise.

She nodded. Then, she gave me a bow.

"Thank you for the gift!" I gave her one last bow and a smile before walking to the nearest merchant's stall that I was pretty sure that sold clothing while putting the long instrument into my pocket. Most of it poked out, but it didn't fall out.

The owner was a handsome man who looked to be in his 30s. He had short slightly brown hair and black eyes.

"Hello, lad!" The merchant greeted me. "How can I help you?"

"Uhh . . . I'm looking for a nice set of clothes that'd fit for a gift," I answered while feeling kind of good that this person didn't confuse me as a girl.

"A gift?" The merchant asked enthusiastically. "How tall is this person?"

"About head taller than me." I raised my hand to indicate how the height. "Oh, and she's a woman."

"Hmmm . . . a set of clothes that'd fit for a gift to a woman." He thought for a moment. Then he turned around and observed the clothes that were hanging on the wall behind him. There were all sorts of clothes on the wooden wall behind him; dresses, tunics, pants, you name it.

Finally, the man reached out his hand, plucked one of the sets of clothes on the wall, and showed it to me.

They were a red dress and a thin white jacket with wide red lines decorating the part where it separated. The jacket was fastened with two red strings that were linked to the wide red lines, and the dress was decorated with intricate patterns.

"That's beautiful!" I exclaimed.

"So, what are you going to trade this with?" The man asked.

"Oh! I'll give you one of my paintings," I said. "Can you wait for a moment?"

The man nodded, and I ran to the stall of the kind woman. She was still working on a painting at her working table.

"Ma'am, may I take one of my paintings?" I asked her.

"Of . . . course . . . Jeffric . . ." The woman smiled at me and gestured at my paintings that were on display.

I took the painting of a bird with blue and white feathers and I was about to run back when I realized that I was still holding the _haegeum_ and the bow in my left hand.

"Oh, I almost forgot." I handed them to her outstretched hand, and she put it on the ground behind the stall. "Thank you for lending me those, ma'am."

"No . . . problem . . ." She smiled at me once again, and she continued working.

I ran back to the merchant and showed him the painting.

"Hmm . . . that looks life-like." The merchant commented while observing it. Then he placed a flat and wide wooden case on the stall, opened it, placed the set of clothes inside it, and closed the lid.

I gave him my painting, and he took it and observed it more closely.

"Lad, I have to say that your work is remarkable!"

"Thank you." I smiled and took the case. Then I started to walk toward the direction where the cave was located while passing by other villagers and houses.

 _I hope she likes the clothes that I'd gotten for her_ , I thought happily and nervously.

* * *

While Jeffric talked to Sona and traded with the merchant, Ahri had changed one of the gold bars in the small wooden cases with five rubies from one of the stalls that sold precious stones. And, she'd traded one of the rubies with a big loaf of bread that had whipped cream inside it. And, she'd bought some stuff for decorations, too.

And now, she was running out of the village and into the forest while holding all of them, praying that she'd get to the cave early before Jeffric does.

 _I need to prepare everything before he arrives!_ Ahri thought desperately.


	39. Chapter 25

Ahri ran and ran until she'd reached the cave entrance. She panted for air while standing in front of it, trying not to fall over. Then, she walked into the cave, stepping on the dried leaves on the ground while walking by and she then put the things she'd brought on the small table that was carved beautifully from oak. It was placed near the entrance, and there was a copper mirror hanging on the wall, so a person could see his or her face while facing the table.

The leaf-green and white robe covered the table completely, and four rubies, the long bread, her 'decorations', and the two small wooden cases containing the golden bars were placed on the clothing.

She took several deep breaths then looked into the copper mirror. The mirror was entirely made of copper, so her copper reflection stared back at her, her eyes filled with excitement and worry.

"You can do this, Ahri . . . You can do this."

Ahri then pressed her right hand on the mirror's surface, her reflection doing the same. Then she pointed her finger accusingly at her reflection while frowning at it.

"You won't mess this up. You better not mess this up or I'm going to . . ."

She then stopped, realizing that she was trying to talk with her reflection, and she turned around, her embarrassment apparent on her face.

"Good thing that Jeffric wasn't here while I was doing that," Ahri said while taking off the hooded cloak and dropping it onto the cave ground. Then, she realized something really important and she froze, her mouth dropping open.

Jeffric always came to the cave after lunchtime!

"Which is . . . now."

She stayed like this, not moving like a statue, for a moment. Then she ran to the cave entrance, her mind trying to come up with ideas but failing again and again.

 _I can't mess this up!_ She thought when she stopped in the entrance. _I can't let Jeffric know that I'm trying to set up a surprise for him!_

She started to brainstorm for ideas on how to make Jeffric not enter the cave while she prepared for the surprise.

She felt stupid that she had forgotten the most important thing; timing.

She was so desperate to find a present that Jeffric would like that she'd completely forgotten about when he was coming back. She first thought of hiding the things that she'd brought to the cave. But then she thought against it when she realized that there were no places that were suitable for hiding. Especially the bread. She then thought about running back to the village and meet Jeffric at the halfway, stalling for time. But then, who'd prepare the surprise for Jeffric?

After minutes of brainstorming, Ahri finally decided to talk to Jeffric at the entrance and somehow make him play in the wild for a long time, enough for her to prepare.

"I have to talk him into it . . ." Ahri muttered.

Then, her fox ears straightened up as if they were startled when she saw Jeffric walking toward the cave amongst the trees from far away.

She gulped nervously while rubbing her hands, trying on a smile which wobbled slightly.

* * *

I was walking through the woods while whistling happily to myself. Through the trees, I could see the cave entrance getting closer and closer.

 _I can't wait to give her the present!_ I thought excitedly, feeling happy while holding the flat and wide wooden case in my right hand.

Then, I noticed that a figure was standing in the entrance of the cave.

It was Ahri.

 _What is she doing there . . . ?_ I thought curiously. Usually, she took a nap or rolled around the dry leaf-filled ground, waiting for me to come back.

Then, something occurred in my mind.

 _When should I give the present to her?_

I hadn't thought of that at all.

"Oops . . ."

I felt myself starting to panic.

 _Just act casually, Jeffric_ , I thought, sweat starting to trickle down my forehead. _Then give her the present when you think it's a nice time to do so._

I'd stopped whistling and started to walk stiffly toward the cave.

 _Look casual . . ._ I thought. _Look casual . . ._

I walked up to the cave entrance and Ahri, who was, for some reason, standing awkwardly while rubbing her hands together. She'd a smile on her face, but it was slightly wobbling. And, her nine fuzzy fox tails were swishing here and there from behind her, as if they were frantic.

"H-H-Hi _Iminha_!" Ahri said and laughed kind of nervously. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"

"Yeah . . . it's quite beautiful." My right hand holding the flat and wide wooden case was trembling slightly.

 _Act casually, act casually._

There was a moment of awkward silence.

"By the way, Jeffric," Ahri said, turning her head to the left, not meeting my eyes. "Uh . . . I have an . . . issue right now . . . I need to be alone for at least a few hours so . . . you can . . . well you know, play outside."

I cocked my head sideways.

"What issue?"

"Well . . ." Ahri clasped both of her hands tightly. "It's . . . it's a 'woman thing' . . ." She gave me a sheepish grin.

"Oh, ok," I said while trying to hide the wooden case behind my back. "Umm . . . I'll be playing not far away from the cave."

I turned around while bringing the wooden case around so my body could cover it and started to walk. When I was amongst the woods, I made a sigh of relief.

 _She didn't ask me about the wooden case!_ I though in relief. _That was quite lucky._

* * *

Ahri released the breath that she was holding back, while pressing her hand on her forehead, relief flooding her.

"That was close . . ."

She watched him walk into the woods, making sure that he was out of sight. Then, when he disappeared amongst the trees, she turned around and ran into the cave, and stopped in front of the small table.

She grabbed the 'decorations' that she'd traded with the ruby and started to decorate the interior of the cave. She thought of colorful streamers, but there was no place to hand them. So, she'd traded with a bunch of golden candles.

She quickly shoved the dried leaves to the end of the cave, where the two beds were placed. Then, she quickly placed the golden candles next to the cave walls, igniting the tips with flints that she'd found along the way to the cave.

Then, she picked up the polished stones and marbles from the ground next to the small table and placed them near the entrance.

Finally, she took the leaf-green robe from the small table, walked up to Jeffric's bed and gently placed it on it.

"All set," Ahri said. Then she sat down on her bed while stretching her arms into the air. "Now, I've to wait for him to come back."

She lied down on her bed and yawned, closing her eyes while covering herself with her nine tails, using them as a bedsheet.

She was about to take a nap when she remembered what had happened yesterday.

Jeffric being kidnapped by the bandits, her trying to rescue him from the bandits, getting beaten and surrounded by the bandits and their wolves, Jeffric going berserk by the artifact inside him and slaughtering every bandit and wolf alike.

Ahri's eyes snapped open and she quickly jumped out of her bed, her heart suddenly starting to beat faster and faster with panic.

"Jeffric!"

She quickly ran out of the cave and into the woods, looking frantically around.

She couldn't see him.

She ran deeper and deeper looking around wildly.

Fear started to grip her heart as panic flowed through her.

 _Where is he?!_

Then, she stopped, taking deep breaths from running. She leaned against a tree trunk next to her and was just about to continue running when she heard a burst of laughter coming from somewhere near.

She looked around, but nobody was in her sight.

She then peeked her head from behind the tree trunk that covered her left view and saw Jeffric.

He was chasing something while laughing out in excitement. And, to Ahri's surprise, he was chasing a small creature that had long whiskers and pointed nose of a cat, the scales of a snake all over its body, and an appearance that was similar to a monkey.

He was chasing a vastayan.

They seemed to be playing tag, and Jeffric was 'it'.

Jeffric made leaped at it, his arms wide stretched. But the small vastayan jumped to the side, letting Jeffric crash onto the ground in a heap, making Ahri wince.

"Ouch!" Jeffric said half wincing and half laughing.

The vastayan laughed with Jeffric, pressing both of its hands on its belly, its laughter reminding her of a monkey.

Ahri had seen this kind of vastayan before in her long life, but she never learned what their name was. She only knew that these vastayans took food from people who were in the forests of Ionia.

He stood up once again and continued chasing the vastayan.

Ahri saw that Jeffric's face was filled with joy, his lips forming a smile.

His smile made her smile, and she pressed her hand on her chest while a warmth spread inside her heart.

 _I wonder if he played at least once like this back in his village . . ._ Ahri thought. Then, after remembering what she'd seen while devouring his life essence, she shook her head. _Probably not._

After an unknown amount of time past, Jeffric and the monkey-like vastayan was lying on the ground, while catching their breaths.

"You're too quick, little guy," Jeffric said between breaths.

The vastayan made a chuckling noise.

They stayed like that for a moment. Then, Jeffric lifted himself in a sitting position while looking at the vastayan.

"Hey . . . can I ask you something?"

The vastayan nodded while pushing itself from the ground to sit.

Jeffric stayed quiet for a second as if he was considering something.

Then he finally spoke.

"Do you think that I can . . . redeem myself?"

The vastayan cocked its head to the side as if it was asking him the reason why he wanted to redeem himself.

"You see . . ." Jeffric gulped, then continued. "I-I did something . . . horrible in front of a dearest friend of mine yesterday . . . She told me that it wasn't my fault, but I still feel guilty because of it happening . . . in front of her."

Ahri covered her mouth with her hand while guilt pierced her heart.

 _Please don't feel guilty, Iminha_ , she answered Jeffric in her mind, even though Jeffric couldn't hear her. _It was my fault . . . I shouldn't have left you alone in that cave._

Jeffric covered his face with his hands, and his body started to tremble.

"I-I don't want her to think that I'm a murderous monster . . . I don't want that incident to become the crack of our friendship . . ." His voice started to tremble more and more. "I don't . . . I don't want . . . I don't want to be alone again!"

Then, he started to cry, his sobs tearing Ahri's soul into pieces with grief and a sense of failure.

The monkey-like vastayan slowly walked to the boy and put his hand on his arm, trying to reassure him.

After a few minutes of crying, Jeffric removed his hands from his face. His lips were wobbling, and his eyes were watery, but he had a small smile on his face.

"Thank you, little guy," he said while patting he little vastayan's head with his shaking hand. "It is good to have someone who listens to me . . . like my friend that I've mentioned." Then, he stared up at the sky, which was getting dark, the sunset blocked by the tree branches. "Maybe . . . just maybe . . . she won't think that I'm . . . a horrible person."

He slowly stood up while wiping the tears away from his cheeks.

"I should stop crying." His voice sounded a little bit determined, as if he had decided something. "Ahri would feel sad if she sees me like this . . . I don't want her to feel sad . . . Not again."

Ahri's nine tails and her pair of fox ears drooped while she felt guilty when she heard him saying that.

She'd seen Jeffric crying which he didn't want her to see.

He then looked up at the sky again. This time, the sunlight was almost gone, replaced with the night sky, filled with stars that slowly glowed brighter when the sunlight faded more and more. Then, a moment later, the stars were the only things in the sky that glowed.

"I guess it's time to go back to my home."

He looked down at the small monkey-like vastayan who was looking up at him.

"Well, I hope that I could see you next time," he said while patting the vastayan again. He then turned around, picked up a flat and wide wooden case from the ground that was lying amongst some bushes, and started to walk toward the direction where the cave was while looking behind him and waving at the vastayan.

The vastayan waved back, and it quickly skipped over to the nearest tree on its all fours and climbed out of view.

Before he could turn his head back to the direction where he was walking, Ahri quickly ducked.

 _I might get spotted!_ Ahri thought in panic, and she started to crawl quickly away on all fours, being careful not to make rustling noises by going through bushes.

She moved away with an unbelievable speed, and she was in front of the cave in no time.

"I must get this right," she whispered to herself and entered the cave.


	40. Chapter 26

Ahri quickly went up to the small table and quickly picked up the long bread and ran back to the entrance. Usually, she would've lit up the campfire in the entrance by now, but today she didn't do it. If she lit up the campfire, the golden candles that she'd lit up would lose their decorative purposes.

She sat in front of the remains of the campfire while steadying her breath. She hugged the long bread while staring out at the world that was now dark, the stars filling the night sky. She waited for Jeffric to come while feeling the night's soft wind touching her face and making her long braided hair slightly sway behind her.

* * *

I walked toward the cave while making myself feel calm.

I'd decided that I'd give her the present when I get back to the cave.

"Don't chicken on me, Jeffric," I whispered to myself. "Just believe in yourself . . ."

I kept on walking and soon the cave came into view. Then, I noticed something strange. By now, when the sun had set, Ahri would lit up the campfire. But today, the campfire wasn't lit and a warm glow was coming from the inside of the cave.

And Ahri was sitting in the entrance as if she was waiting for me while hugging something.

 _What's going on?_ I wondered and approached the entrance while curiosity got the better of me.

"Ahri, what's going on?" I asked her as I approached her closer. Now, I could see that polished stones and marbles that used to be placed next to the table were now placed around the entrance, their smooth surface reflecting the lights that were emitted from golden candles that were placed along the cave walls behind her.

Ahri was smiling at me, and she stood up quickly when I was only a foot away.

"H-Happy birthday, Jeffric!" Ahri said and presented me with the thing that she was hugging. I received it with both of my hands and saw that it was a long bread.

I stared at the bread. Then I looked up at Ahri, confusion filling my mind.

"But my birthday already past . . ." I said in a confused voice.

"Well . . ." Ahri said while grasping both of her hands nervously while giving me a shy smile. "Today is the day when we've met for the first time just a year ago . . . so maybe we could celebrate your birthday today because . . . because . . . well . . . we could celebrate the day when we've first met at the same time!"

I could tell that Ahri was getting nervous because a few beads of sweat trickled down her face while she smiled nervously. And I could tell that she was cringing because both of her fox ears were standing straight up on her head.

 _Celebrating my birthday and the day when we've met . . ._ I thought. _She is so kind to me . . ._

I smiled at her gratefully while hugging the bread that she'd given to me.

"I think it's a great idea, Ahri." I felt a warmth spreading in my heart and I hugged her, being careful not to squash the bread. "Thank you so much . . ."

* * *

Ahri stared down at the boy she'd known for a year who was now hugging her. She saw that he'd changed while he lived with her.

Jeffric had been a scrawny and bony boy with hollow cheeks when she'd first met him. But now, he'd gained more fat than before. His body was still scrawny, but they weren't bony as they were before. And, his cheeks were not hollow anymore, making him look more lively than before.

But sadly, he was still about a head and a half shorter than her.

When he let go of her, Ahri smiled at him. "Now, I think it's time to give you the present."

Jeffric raised his hand while looking down at his own feet. "Uhh . . . by the way Ahri . . . you told me that you don't know when your birthday is . . . so I was wondering if we could set your birthday to today." Then he looked up at her, his face blushing slightly. "And . . . I got a present for you, too."

Then, Jeffric presented her a wide wooden case, a shy smile spreading on his face.

Ahri's eyes grew wide in surprise. She hadn't expected this to happen.

"Why thank you Jeffric!" she gasped in delight and she patted his head with her right hand while pressing the other one on her chest. "And I think that's a great idea."

Jeffric closed his eyes as if he was enjoying the sensation while blushing even more.

* * *

After patting me on the head, Ahri gently accepted my present. While I slightly hugged the long bread, Ahri opened it slowly and when she saw the contents inside it, she made a delightful gasp.

"Jeffric," Ahri exclaimed, "these look great!"

My smile broadened as pride filled my heart.

"I-I'm really happy that you like them," I said, trying my best to look modest.

She closed the case and placed it on the ground next to her carefully.

"It's my turn to give you the present that I've prepared." She turned around and ran deeper into the cave, got something from her bed and ran back to the entrance while holding it in her arms.

It was a beautiful leaf-green and white robe which was decorated with golden lines that reminded me of vines.

"A-Ahri . . ." I said in a starstruck voice. "Did you get it just for me?!"

I stared at the robe, not believing my eyes. Then, I looked down at my clothes. They looked like scraps compared to the robe.

I looked back up at her and gave her a smile that was filled with pure happiness.

"It's so beautiful, Ahri!"

Then I gave her a pleading look. "Can I wear the robe right now, please?"

Ahri made a concerned face. "Uhh . . . don't you want to eat the long bread first?"

"I-It can wait!" I said quickly. "I-I just want to try on the present . . ."

 _Before it turns out that this is all a dream or something cruel like that happens._

I wanted to make sure that this was all real because I'd dreamed about someone celebrating my birthday or giving me a birthday present when I was living in the village. But whenever I was about to have real fun or about to receive the present, I always woke up from the dream.

 _Please be real . . ._

* * *

Ahri felt nervous.

 _What if Jeffric changes his mind about the present? What if he doesn't like the feeling of the robe when he is wearing it? What if he looks at me in disappointment?_

She handed the robe to Jeffric with her trembling hands while receiving the long bread from him. Jeffric took the robe with an amazed look on his face as if he was looking at something from another world.

"Ahri . . . can you look at the back of the cave while I . . . change?" Jeffric asked.

"O-Of course, _Iminha_."

Ahri quickly turned around while hearing the sound of the robe rustling as Jeffric changed clothes.

"You can look now, Ahri," Jeffric finally said after a moment.

Ahri turned around and her face lit up when she saw a radiant smile on Jeffric's face while he was looking down at the leaf-green and white robe that he was now wearing. The robe was slightly large for him, his sleeves were longer than his hands were covered from view while the lower side of the robe almost touched the ground. He slowly and gently touched the fabric of the clothing, feeling the smooth sensation with his fingers.

"This feels . . . really smooth." Jeffric whispered unbelievingly. "It doesn't feel rough, and I don't even feel any torn sections on this robe . . ."

* * *

I couldn't believe it.

This wasn't a dream, and, for the first time in my life, I was wearing something new!

"Thank you, Ahri," I smiled at her, "this means a lot to me . . . nobody ever gave me a present on my birthday before until now."

I wanted to express how happy I was but I didn't know how. I just waved my arm slightly, making the long sleeves sway here and there.

"Thank you, so, so much!"

* * *

Ahri felt joy washing over her as she watched the boy enjoying his new robe. He was smiling as if it was his birthday, which was actually true and he reminded her of an excited puppy. He was acting exactly how a child should act; happy and joyful with nothing to worry about. She couldn't see any signs of the grief of his past anywhere on his face. He wasn't acting like a sixteen-year-old, but he was catching on.

This made her happy.

"It's my turn to wear my new clothes," Ahri said while picking up the wide wooden case from the ground and opening it after giving the long bread back to Jeffric to wear the clothes.

Jeffric nodded enthusiastically. "I'll give you some personal space."

He turned around, staring out at the world outside the cave, preventing himself from looking at her when she was changing clothes.

Ahri quickly took off the clothes that she was wearing, including the separate long sleeves, putting them gently on the ground next to her after folding them, and quickly put on the red dress first and then the thin white jacket with wide red lines decorating the part where it separated. She had a slightly hard time when she was putting on the thin white jacket because she'd to tie two strands of red fabric to hold it together on her body properly.

The dress was long, barely touching the ground, and the jacket was slightly tight, but air went through the fabric pretty well.

She really liked what Jeffric had given her.

"You can turn around, _Iminha_."

* * *

I gulped and turned around, my heart starting to pound faster while I hugged the long bread.

 _How would she look like?_

When my eyes settled on her they grew wide as my mouth opened slowly in amazement. She looked dazzling! Her previous clothes were beautiful and intricate, but, in my opinion, the clothes that I'd given her as a present made her look even more divine than before.

To me, she looked like a nine-tailed fox goddess.

"Y-You look so breathtaking!" I gushed while clapping my hands in delight.

"You think so?" Ahri twirled around, making the dress billow out around her while she grinned in amazement.

I nodded enthusiastically. "Of course!"

When Ahri stopped twirling around, I saw that she had a shy smile on her face.

"I never wore a long dress like this . . ." She looked at me nervously. "Are you positively sure that I look breathtaking, _Iminha_?"

I nodded vigorously.

A relieved smile replaced her shy one. "That's a relief," she said.

Then she looked at the long bread that I was holding.

"You can eat that all, Jeffric." There was an encouraging smile on her face. "You don't have to share it with me."

I glanced down at the bread. Then I carefully divided it into two.

"But . . . I want to eat this with you." I held out the half of the bread to her.

* * *

"You don't need to—" Ahri was about to protest but when she saw the boy making sad puppy dog eyes, she couldn't refuse the offer.

"If you insist." Ahri received half of the long bread, sat down, and started to eat.

Jeffric walked up to her and sat next to her, both of them now staring out at the entrance of the cave, at the world of night.

Ahri saw that he was looking curiously at the whipped cream that got exposed when he divided the bread into two.

"What is this?" Jeffric asked while touching the whipped cream with his finger carefully.

"Whipped cream," Ahri answered. Then she took a bite from the half of the bread and started chewing, the delicious taste filling her mouth. "It's really good."

Jeffric tentatively took a bite from his bread and started to chew. His green eyes steadily grew wide while he chewed eagerly.

When he swallowed, he turned his head to look at Ahri with an expression of wonder on his face.

"I-It tastes . . . really delicious!" He exclaimed. Then, he started to eagerly devour the bread as if he had been starving for days.

Ahri observed the boy eating and laughed softly.

"My, my," she said, "you really like the taste, don't you?"

The boy nodded vigorously.

"This is so amazing!" the boy said after swallowing the piece of the bread that he was chewing.

* * *

This was amazing. I couldn't believe that I was eating something really good like this. It was so delicious that I wanted to cry.

 _Don't_ , I told myself mentally. _If I cry, Ahri will worry about me even more . . . she shouldn't worry more for me._

When I finished eating, I closed my eyes, feeling the soft breeze on my skin.

"You won!"

I opened my eyes and looked at Ahri, being confused about why she'd said that.

"You ate it all before I did," she said and then stuffed the remaining half of the bread that she was eating into her mouth. It made her cheeks puff out making her look cute, and her new look made me laugh.

She playfully poked one of her puffed-out cheeks with her finger. Then, she chewed and gulped down the bread inside her mouth. I laughed some more, and this time Ahri joined too, even though it shouldn't be that funny. But, we laughed as if it was a great joke.

When we finally stopped laughing, I lay down on my back while sighing happily.

"This is the best birthday ever!" I said while raising both of my hands into the air.

"You do know that lying on the ground after eating something is bad, don't you?" Ahri asked teasingly and then she lay down next to me. Now we were lying on the ground together, only a few centimeters apart from each other.

"Then why are you lying on the ground?" I answered while smiling at her.

She shrugged while placing both of her hands on her stomach. "I wish that I could do something right now . . . maybe something to do with music."

That was when I remembered the long flute-like instrument that Sona had given me. It was still poking out from the pocket of my old pair of gray pants.

"Wait, I have a musical instrument," I offered, "I don't know if you could play it though."

"Well, I'll see it first. It could be an instrument that I know how to use."

I stood up. The old clothes were only a few centimeters away from me, so I took a few steps, crouched down, pulled the musical instrument out, and then turned around and showed it to Ahri.

"Oh, I know how to use that one!" Ahri clapped while saying that. When she stood up, I handed it to her. She took it gingerly and walked out of the cave to the open. Then she turned around, facing me, and sat down.

"You can sit down, _Iminha_."

"Oh." I was dazzled by Ahri when she walked past me in her new clothes, and I'd kept staring at her. I blushed while sitting down, getting embarrassed.

She held it sideways, blocking all the holes with her fingers while placing her mouth on the embouchure hole that was on the side of the instrument near the tip. The trees outside the cave entrance were rustling in the wind, the petals from the pink flowers growing on the trees trailing down to the ground like snow. Some even landed on the nine tails.

She started to play the instrument, blowing air into it while blocking and unblocking the other small holes on the flute-like instrument with her slender fingers, producing a calming sound that flowed with the soft wind.

I realized that she was playing the song that she'd always sang to me; about the two angels. Except, they weren't words but they were the sound of the flute-like instrument. And before I knew it, I was singing along, my voice and her music that she was producing mixing perfectly like water and paint, warmth and a hug, and Ahri and kindness.

At that moment, the scene looked so beautiful to me; pink petals falling in the background, Ahri playing the flute-like instrument while wearing the new clothes, her nine fuzzy fox tails swaying behind her, and her pair of beautiful golden eyes staring directly at me, filled with warmth, gentleness, and happiness while the music that we were performing together filled the air.

 _I want to draw this scene and preserve it forever . . ._

When the song was finished, we walked back into the cave and to the end of it where our beds were placed. We upgraded them; placing silk blankets over the beds that used to be covered with leaves that never dried. We upgraded them because sometimes, the surface scraped against our skin.

I stood in front of my bed, which was placed next to the left wall of the cave while Ahri stood next to hers, which was placed next to the right wall of the cave. We stared at each other, an awkward silence between us.

Finally, Ahri broke it by kissing me on the forehead.

"Happy birthday, Jeffric," she said in a soft voice. "And . . . that was a really nice voice."

I blushed while smiling shyly.

Then a thought struck me.

"A-Ahri . . ." I said nervously. After I gulped, I continued. "May I kiss you on the forehead, too . . . ?"

Ahri looked slightly surprised for a moment, making me feel really nervous while questioning myself if I'd made a mistake. Then, she gave me an encouraging smile.

"Of course you may," she said and bowed slightly while putting her hands behind her back, her eyes closed in anticipation. Thanks to her bowing slightly, I only had to stand on my tiptoes for my lips to be on the same height as her forehead. I leaned forward while being careful not to fall and gently kissed her on the forehead.

It felt . . . really nice, and I blushed even more.

 _So, this is what it feels like to kiss someone on the forehead . . ._

I looked down at my feet, not to show her that I was blushing. But she noticed and laughed softly.

"Well, goodnight, _Iminha_ ," she said and then she lay down on her bed on her side and closed her eyes, covering herself with her nine tails for warmth.

I lay down on my bed, too, while overwhelming happiness washed over me.

 _Thank you Ahri . . . for everything._ I thought. Then, I closed my eyes.

* * *

 **(A/N)**

 **Finally, I reached the chapter that contains the scene which is depicted on the cover! Yay!**

 **The next few chapters will be the Special Episodes . . . but they will be dark.**

 **Believe me, I'm going to put a warning message at the top of the Special Episodes. Like '15+ only' or something.**

 **Anyway, thank you for reading my story, and I hope you enjoy your day!**


	41. Special EP:9 (17 or more)

**_(WARNING!) (WARNING!) (WARNING!)_**

 ** _THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS WILL BE RATED 17+ (they could be even 19+, but I WILL censor them)_**

 ** _ANY PEOPLE UNDER 17 PLEASE DON'T READ THIS! I MEAN IT!_**

 ** _The next few chapters will involve mature (but censored) contents involving (censored) rape (I won't spoil whether SOMEONE will ACTUALLY get raped or not), sexual harassment, and some bad (but censored) languages._**

 ** _The reason why I'm writing the next few chapters is that I want to make things right. You see, a few months ago, I came across a mature K/DA fan comic on the internet while surfing for K/DA fan arts. And let me tell you, that comic gave me a trauma. I'll only tell you that the K/DA members get . . . 'violated' in this comic. When I read it, I felt angry, disturbed, and helpless at the same time. When the song POP/STARS first came out on youtube, I was having a difficult time in life. It motivated me and helped me go through some tough things while showing me that there are still wonderful things in this world even though it looks dark, and I was really grateful for the song's existence. When I read the comic, I decided that I won't let this kind of trash-fandom-garbage-comic ruin the thing that helped me. My brain kept on telling me that I had to do something, I had to make things right. So, I had decided that I'd write a few chapters on this matter._**

 ** _By the way, can someone please tell me why the hell some people have a fetish for RAPE?! I'm not talking about the 'a girl pinned me onto my bed while acting seductively' kind of stuff. No, I'm talking about ACTUAL RAPE! Why? Who enjoys it? WHY DO PEOPLE ENJOY WATCHING THEIR FAVORITE CHARACTERS GETTING RAPTED? I just . . . can't understand . . ._**

* * *

 _Ahri knew what was about to happen. How couldn't she know? She'd always endured it every night._

 _She'd finished a K/DA concert and she and the rest of the K/DA were heading to their van, Evelynn strolling in front of her while Kai'Sa and Akali were walking behind her. They were all wearing casual clothes because they expected to go back to the hotel that they'd booked. On either side of the path that they were going, countless fans were cheering their names, taking pictures or holding signs of support while the guards in black suits made sure that they didn't suddenly make a run at them._

 _Ahri smiled while waving her hand at them, even though she didn't want to._

 _She talked to Evelynn until they entered the van that was parked on the side of the road. She sat on her usual seat while Evelynn sat on the seat next to her and the remaining two sat on the back seats._

 _Ahri smiled while stretching her arms into the air and stretching her legs forward when she wanted to wail and claw at the van's window, to get out before it could take her to the dreaded place she knew that it was going to take._

 _"Thank you!" Kai'Sa said cheerfully when the driver shut the van's sliding door and sat on the driver's seat after getting into the van via the front door. "Ahh . . . Today was exhausting! Could you take us back to our hotel rooms?"_

 _The driver flinched._

 _Ahri faintly pleaded the driver to say something different, even though she knew what he was going to say._

 _"Oh . . . Uh . . . Sorry, we have one more stop for today."_

 _Ahri heard his voice trembling and felt hopelessness descending over her._

 _"Oh really?" Kai'Sa asked. "Where?"_

 _"Oh . . . It's uh . . . You'll see when we get there . . ."_

 _He started the engine, and soon the van was driving through the streets._

 _Ahri felt her blood growing cold as her lips started to tremble._

 _She knew what was about to happen._

 _When they finally stopped, the driver told Ahri and the rest of the K/DA members to change into their stage outfits._

 _"H-He said that he'd be happy if you wear them for him."_

 _Then got out of the van to give them privacy._

 _The rest of the K/DA members were confused, but they changed their clothes nevertheless. Ahri wanted to cry when she knew that the inevitable hell was about to begin. She wanted to restrain herself from changing her clothes, but her entire body moved as if it was being controlled by strings of a puppet master._

 _'Dear God . . . Why are you making me go through this hell . . . ? Did I commit a sin to endure this?'_

 _When they came out of the van, they were escorted to a building that seemed to loom over them like a monster. And on the entrance, there was a golden sign that Ahri'd dreaded to see._

 _[Shinning Star—A Prestigious Club]_

 _She suddenly felt hollow inside and her eyes lost focus. But her legs kept on walking. And soon, they all entered the club. Then_ _they found themselves being surrounded by half-naked men whose faces were covered in shadows._

 _"Wh-What's happening . . . ?" Kai'Sa asked, fear suddenly filling her voice as she stepped behind Ahri._

 _"Well, well, well," a familiar voice said smugly. "You finally came."_

 _Ahri felt as if coldness was washing down her back as she started to tremble in fear. She knew the owner of the voice. She knew who he was._

 _Amongst the men, a tall and topless muscular man stepped forward. He had long slicked back hair that was dyed blonde, sharp black eyes filled with lust, and slightly hollowed cheeks. He wore a smile that matched the devil's smile._

 _"What the hell's going on?! Why did you make us put our stage costumes on?" Evelynn screamed at the man._

 _"Relax, Evelynn," the man said in his menacing voice as his grin grew wider. "You're all just here to . . . make us enjoy our night, shall I say?"_

 _Evelynn eyes grew wide in anger and surprise. "Are you crazy?! We'd never do something like that! Get the hell away from us or I'll alert the authorities!" Rage was evident in Evelynn's voice as she glared at all the men in the club that surrounded them. "You're all disgusting! There's no way I'm wearing this for you!"_

 _The man laughed, his laughter echoing through the club like the laughter of the devil himself._

 _"You're not fooling anybody with that terrible acting of yours. So you might as well just give up."_

 _"What are you talking about!?" Akali yelled at him, trying hard to look brave, but her slightly trembling voice gave away her fear._

 _He smiled broadly at her, revealing his sharp-looking teeth. "You all acting like normal people when your true selves are lustful sl*ts that crave to make love."_

 _Before any of the members of K/DA could yell at him, he turned his head to look at Ahri, his gaze penetrating her like swords penetrating an enemy's chest._

 _"So Ahri . . . did you miss me?"_

 _At that moment, Ahri truly wanted to die. She wanted to get out of this no matter what._

She felt the rest of the members of K/DA staring at her, surprise filling their faces.

"Wh-What?! What's he talking about, Ahri?" Evelynn asked her unbelievingly.

She didn't answer Evelynn. She felt as if the world around her was crumbling to dust.

 _Please . . . wake me up . . . or kill me . . . I can't take this anymore . . ._

 _"Come here, Ahri," the man sneered. "The thing that I'd promised would happen long ago has finally arrived."_

 _Her body didn't move. She wanted her body to just freeze in place, not wanting to even go near the dreadful man._

 _The man laughed quietly. "Do you seriously want that 'video' to be uploaded on the internet, Ahri?"_

 _Ahri's body shuddered. Then her body slowly walked toward him as tears came out of her eyes and started to trickle down her cheeks. Before, she'd struggle against her own body, trying hard to run away as far as possible or not to move at all. But now, she knew it was pointless. No matter what she did, the outcome was the same. She couldn't do anything about it. She sat on her knees in front of the man, now her tears blurring her sight._

 _"I'm waiting." She heard him saying in a gleeful voice._

 _Her trembling hands pulled down his pants as more tears came out of her eyes, blurring her vision even more while preventing her from seeing his private part as she started to sob in pain and hopelessness._

 _"Good girl. You made the right choice."_

 _"A-Ahri . . . what's happening?"_

 _Ahri heard Akali speaking from behind her. She knew what she'd see if she turned to look at the rest of the members of K/DA. She'd see the shocked, heartbroken, and fear-filled faces of Akali, Evelynn, and Kai'Sa who were staring at her as if she was something to fear._

 _"Aww don't cry," the man chuckled. "You look so much prettier when you smile as you do on the stage."_

 _Ahri didn't smile. She just continued crying, not wanting to do anything._

 _Suddenly, she felt something slapping the side of her face painfully. She gasped slightly as the pain burned the place that got slapped._

 _The man had slapped her._ _  
_

 _"I said smile, you sl*t," the man hissed, warning now filling his voice._

 _Ahri forced herself to smile, a smile of a person who was feeling pain beyond human imaginations now contorting her face._

 _"That's right . . . Jut like that."_

 _The man laughed some more. Then he looked at the men that were surrounding the rest of the members of K/DA._

 _"Boys, let's start the party."_

 _Suddenly, she heard Evelynn, Akali, and Kai'Sa screaming in terror as sounds of skirmish started to ring around the club. She heard men laugh and Akali yelling insults in panic and punching people. She heard Kai'Sa whimpering and Evelynn struggling against a group of people._

 _"Now, let's have some fun, Ahri," the man said, his voice becoming more and more inhumane than before. She then felt his hand pressing against the back of her head and it pulled her head closer and—_

* * *

Ahri sat bolted upright, gasping for breath. She'd woken up from the nightmare with her cold sweat trickling down her entire body. She was breathing heavily while her golden eyes were wild with fear. She was sitting on her four-poster bed, and her room was dark. Even though she didn't check the time, she knew that it was still night time.

She just stayed like that, sitting on her bed while a series of sweat trickled down her body. Then, her body started to tremble as her already pale face grew paler. Her arms began to shake as she clasped both of her hands on the left and right side of her head in fear.

She'd dreamed of the nightmare, again.

She started having this nightmare since 'that' day, when she was still a teenaged popstar. But at that time, she was the only one who was raped in the nightmare. Because of this nightmare and . . . 'someone', she quitted being a pop star for a while. When she stopped having the nightmare, she'd decided to make a comeback with a completely different look.

She'd thought that she could leave the past behind her if she makes a fresh start.

But she was wrong.

The rest of the K/DA thought that she'd lost her will to sing several months ago because of the haters. That wasn't the only reason. The nightmare was another major thing that'd made her lose the will.

The nightmare came back, and it came back much worse than before. Now, Akali, Evelynn, and Kai'Sa were doomed to the same fate in her nightmare.

She could still hear Akali's screams, Evelynn's heartbroken cries, and Kai'Sa's sobs in her mind. Her lips started to tremble as dread overwhelmed her like a great tsunami.

Today, she was luckier than usual because sometimes, she'd gone through all before waking up.

Fragments of the previous nightmares flashed across her mind, filling her with more dread. She remembered seeing Evelynn, Akali, and Kai'Sa getting raped in front of her own eyes and she still remembered her virginity being forcefully taken away in yesterday's nightmare. The nightmares that she'd were always similar, but the details were always different, making it even worse. Sometimes, they fought back like today. But other times, they were too stunned by what Ahri'd done like yesterday.

 _"Ahri . . . how could you . . ."_ She remembered what Evelynn had said.

 _"I'll not give in . . . I'll not give them the satisfaction . . ."_ She remembered Akali whispering to herself while her strong mentality slowly crumbled.

 _"This isn't dancing . . . Someone . . . please save me . . ."_ She remembered Kai'Sa sobbing while being forced to take off her outfit while dancing in front of the men.

She knew that it was only a nightmare that haunted her nights. But yet, it felt so . . . real to her.

Ahri started to breathe heavily like a scared animal that was cornered by a hunter, her golden eyes shaking in their sockets. She was scared out of her mind and was losing control of her wits.

She dreaded sleeping because she knew that she would enter that hell once more.

"Stop . . . please . . . make this stop . . ." Ahri whimpered. "I-I can't bear this . . . anymore."

She stayed like this for a while, being trapped inside her own memories of her torturous hell. Then she slowly stood up and walked unstably across her room to her room's door. She silently opened it and walked out of her room, heading toward Jeffric's room. She stood in front of its door, considering whether to enter or not.

She finally decided to enter, and she gripped the doorknob with her trembling hand and turned it slowly. When the door was opened, she entered Jeffric's room without making any noise.

Jeffric was lying on his bed, tangled with his thin bed cover. He was curled into a ball, shivering slightly while unconsciously making tiny whimpering noises of fear. Ahri went up to the side of his bed and looked down at him, feeling concern overwhelming her.

She placed her hand on the side of his face and gently stroke it. Jeffric's shivering subsided, and his whimpers stopped. His expression, which was filled with fear before, now seemed peaceful. Suddenly, an urge to sleep next to him gripped her. She wanted to hug him in her arms while sleeping, feeling his warmth and listening to his soft breathing with her ears.

Whenever he was near her while she slept, she didn't have that nightmare. She'd slept close to him only two times in her life; once on Christmas Eve and the other was when the rest of the members of the K/DA came to her apartment to meet Jeffric for the first time and to celebrate him becoming an adult.

And maybe, just maybe, Jeffric needed someone to be next to him while he was asleep, just like her.

And, before Jeffric lived with her in the same apartment, she always had to bear the memories of the nightmare by herself whenever she woke up. But now, thanks to Jeffric, she'd someone to look and talk to, making her forget about the nightmare in the morning.

But now, it seemed that she couldn't endure that nightmare any longer.

"We both are broken souls, aren't we Jeffric," Ahri whispered sadly at the pure and innocent-looking nineteen-year-old. Then, she slowly turned around and left.

* * *

 _The sunlight came into the classroom through the glass windows, and it seemed to make a girl sitting behind a desk that was placed next to one of the windows radiate in a warm glow. The spring breeze that came into the classroom's open windows made her hair rustle, somehow making her look magical._

 _The classroom was slightly crowded with elementary students with blurry faces._

 _Except for the girl._

 _I hesitantly approached her while shyly clasping both of my hands._

 _When I was standing in front of her desk, I saw that she was drawing some pictures on it with her pencil._

 _"H-Hi . . ." I said tentatively and heard that my voice sounded way younger than my normal self. "M-My name is J-Jeffric. Nice to meet you!"_

 _The girl looked up at me with a shy expression on her face. The girl was cute, with two big slightly-brown eyes and long raven hair that reached her shoulders._

 _Then I finally understood what was going on as dread washed over my heart._

 _'Oh no . . . please . . . not this dream again . . .'_

 _"Nice to meet you, too." It was evident from her voice that she was nervous._

 _"Can I b-be your friend?" I asked her while hopping from one foot to another in nervousness._

 _A girl's eyes grew wide in surprise._

 _"Friend . . . ? But why?"_

 _"W-Well . . ." I said while blushing. "Because y-you look like you could use a company . . ."_

 _'Don't let me be your friend!' I thought in desperation. 'Please don't . . .'_

 _After a moment of silence, her lips spread into a soft smile._

 _"You can be my friend, Jeffric."_

 _Suddenly, the world changed around me. Now, I was sitting on a park bench. It was summer. The girl was sitting next to me and we both were eating icecreams._

 _"Th-Thank you for buying me this icecream . . ." I said. "I've n-never eaten it before, but it sure is t-tasty!"_

 _"Well, you're welcome." She smiled shyly while blushing slightly, making me blush too._

 _We both laughed nervously and continued eating our ice creams. When we finished eating, we threw the ice cream sticks to the trash can that was placed a few feet next to the bench we were sitting on. Mine went into the trash can, but hers didn't._

 _It hit the side of the trash can and fell onto the ground._

 _Then a person who was walking past our bench stepped on it._

 _"I-I'll put it in," I volunteered when the person walked away. I quickly walked up to the ice cream stick on the ground, picked it up, and put it inside the trash can. Then, I went back to the bench and sat down again, feeling proud of myself._

 _"By the way, Jeffric," the girl said while staring at me with wonder twinkling in her eyes, "can you tell me something?"_

 _"Y-Yes of course. What d-do you want me to tell you?"_

 _She cocked her head sideways while a curious and adorable grin spread across her lips. "Can you tell me why you have green eyes?"_

 _I scratched my head in embarrassment. "Well . . . I-I don't know."_

 _"They're beautiful."_

 _I was taken by surprise and looked up at her._

 _"R-Really?"_

 _She nodded. "I wish I could have green eyes."_

 _My heart began to race as I felt a smile growing on my face._

 _"E-Everybody always thought that I was a-a freak because of my eyes . . . you're the first o-one to say that they're beautiful."_

 _Then I blushed while looking at the ground._

 _"Thank you so much."_

 _The world around me once again changed, and I found myself walking along the sidewalk with the girl while chatting about things that happened in our elementary school yesterday while the smell of autumn filled the air. It was fall, with the leaves of the maple trees changing colors while the cool wind blew through the streets._

 _". . . and he then pushed me into the girl's bathroom!" I said with half humor and half grumpiness._

 _The girl laughed. "That explains why you had your head bowed since the third period."_

 _We laughed while continuing to walk. I felt happy and joyful and yarned for time to stop, to feel these positive emotions for forever. But I knew that harsh reality was waiting for me when I went back to my home._

 _"B-By the way . . ." I said. "I-I wanted to ask you this for a while . . . uhh . . . w-will you be my girlfriend?"_

 _I blushed and put both of my hands behind my back, feeling suddenly afraid of her answer._

 _'Say no . . . It's the only way you could survive . . . !' I begged while feeling my heart filling with panic, but no sounds came out of my mouth._

 _The girl smiled._

 _"Of course, Jeffric."_

 _'No . . .'_

 _I smiled broadly while a warm feeling bloomed inside my heart._

 _"Hold hands?" The girl asked while lifting her hand toward me._

 _"H-Hold hands!" I said as I grasped her hand with mine. Then we continued walking while still holding hands, my hand feeling the warmth of her soft and small hand._

 _We finally stopped in front of a crosswalk. The crosswalk light was glowing red, and the cars were whizzing past on the road._

 _And I knew what was going to happen next._

 _'Oh no . . .'_

 _"By the way, let's have a race!" The girl said._

 _'No . . . no, no, no NO!' I screamed, but no words came out. 'Don't do it! Please, refuse it . . . please . . .'_

 _"Oh, I love racing!" I said while clapping my hands. "Even though I'm not good at it."_

 _Then, the traffic light turned green, indicating that people could now go across the crosswalk._

 _"Let's start the race on the count to three," the girl said._

 _"Ok," I said cheerfully._

 _'NO!' I screamed, but no words came out again._

 _"One," the girl said while preparing to run._

 _'Please, don't! No!' I tried to yell again._

 _But it was no use._

 _"Two," I said while preparing run too._

 _'Don't say the next word, please don't!' I yelled in desperation, uselessly struggling to take control of my body to grab the girl beside me. 'DON'T, I BEG YOU! DON'T DO IT! PLEASE!'_

 _"Three!" The girl yelled._

 _I screamed a scream filled with frustration and pain that didn't even leave my mouth as my body began to run. I desperately tried to make my body stop. I tried to do something, but my body kept on running, running faster than the girl who was only a small distance behind._

 _I felt like a marionette that was being controlled by an unknown force as I was powerless to change the outcome. I couldn't even cry, knowing what'd happen next._

 _Suddenly, I heard a car screeching to stop behind me and then heard something crashing against something. After that, I heard something falling onto the ground with a sickening 'Crunch!'_

 _And I knew what had made that sound._

 _I stopped in my tracks and slowly turned around._

 _The horrified screams of people filled my ears as they rushed to the street, toward the crosswalk._

 _'No . . .'_

 _My eyes settled on the car that'd screeched to a stop on the crosswalk. I saw a small dent on its front as if it'd crashed into something._

 _Then, I saw there were a few droplets of blood on the dent._

 _That was when my heart started to fill with dread._

 _There was something lying next to the car, but I couldn't see it clearly because all the people that'd rushed to the crosswalk were surrounding it, some talking to each other in horrified voices while others talked into their phones in desperation._

 _But even though they were blocking the view, I saw something that hit me hard in my gut._

 _A pool of blood was spreading under the feet of the people that were surrounding the thing lying next to the car._

 _I slowly started to step closer to the scene. As I got closer, I saw a glimpse of something through the gap between the people that surrounded it._

 _A small and bloodied hand that I'd held just a few minutes ago lying on the ground amongst the pool of blood was shown to me before the gap was blocked once more when a person got closer to the body to examine it._

 _Then the person said something that made me feel as if I'd lost everything that was precious to me in the whole world._

 _"She's dead."_

 _I fell onto my knees while the whole world started to tear apart around me as if someone was tearing the world piece by piece, throwing them into oblivion. Strips of reality fell into the nothingness and soon, I was floating in a dark abyss, nothing around me except the darkness._

 _Faint sounds of the car screeching to a stop, something crashing into something, and the sickening crunch started to surround me. They grew louder and louder until they filled my ears._

 _I covered my ears, trying desperately to stop hearing the sickening sounds, but it didn't do anything._

 _'If I hadn't agreed to race on the crosswalk, she'd be still alive . . .'_

 _I curled into a ball while starting to shiver in stress. The pressure of the sounds made me whimper as I squeezed my eyes shut._

 _'If I didn't befriend her, she'd be still alive.'_

 _I started to shiver even more in pain._

 ** _'If I didn't exist at all, she'd be still alive.'_**

 _I felt my heart tearing away piece by piece like the world did around me._

 _ **'And by loving her, I killed her . .** .' _

_Now, I felt as if my heart was completely torn away._

 ** _'I should never love a person again . . . because I might kill her too.'_**

 _Then I started to feel my entire body starting to tear apart, pain ravaging me like wildfire._

 ** _'I'm a murderer . . .'_**

 _While I was whimpering, I started to feel some kind of warmth on the side of my face. At first, I didn't notice it, being sunken deep in grief and ravaging pain. But as the warmth started to grow, I stopped shivering and whimpering. It felt . . . so heartwarming, as if a warm hand was stroking the side of my face._

 _Then_ _—_

* * *

I opened my eyes while sitting bolt upright in bed. I was sweating slightly, but I swore that I still felt the warmth on the side of my face.

I touched the place and rubbed it slightly.

"Are you alright?" a light voice asked.

I glanced sideways to see a white-furred creature that I'd known for years. The creature was humanoid with a small fluffy tail, wearing a dark mask that had a pair of ears while the eyeholes glowed blue, a white mark on its forehead section. It'd long fluffy white hair with a pair of long white ears that reminded me of the rabbit's ears, except the creature's ears were drooping down while being attached to the place where human ears should've been. The chest section of the creature was fluffier than its legs, arms, back, and stomach. And, intricate blue lines were carved onto its sides, including its pair of ears.

"Hi, lamb," I greeted her sleepily. "And, yes, I think . . . I'm alright."

"You didn't look like you're alright while you were sleeping," a deep voice complemented.

I glanced back and saw an almost-misty creature floating right behind me. It looked like a dark wolf, except it was wearing a white mask that had glowing blue eyeholes and there was a dark mark on its forehead section. It had a long snout that glowed blue.

"Oh, hi wolf," I turned my head away from the wolf. "I didn't look alright while I was sleeping because I'd a nightmare . . ."

I guess it's time to tell you a secret that I'd kept to myself because of its childishness.

Lamb and wolf . . . they're my imaginary friends.

Yes, I know. A nineteen-year-old person having imaginary friends sounds really weird and pathetic. But, let me explain before you laugh at me like my classmates did whenever I made mistakes.

When I was little, about four or five, I was always afraid of the dark. It seemed to me as if they were trying to . . . consume me. So, whenever it was time to sleep, I always stayed up late, trembling in fear because of the ominous darkness that settled in my room. One day, I read a storybook about a wolf and lambs. The wolf was the antagonist while the lambs were the protagonists. That storybook made me think about something: "Why can't wolves and lambs be friends?"

That thought always inhabited my mind whenever I lay on my bed.

Then one day, I created two characters with some worn-out pencils that my father threw out and a scrap of paper. They were the lamb and the wolf.

I drew the lamb first. The lamb was the embodiment of a mother that I never had: a warm, gentle, and comforting. Then I drew the wolf. This time, the wolf was the embodiment of a father that I never had: humorous, slightly playful, and protective. And they both wore masks because I was into TV series about masked heroes back then.

Then an idea struck me. I wondered if I could make them into my imaginary friends. So, when I lay on my bed that night, I imagined them being real. It turned out that it wasn't hard. Because of their imaginary but friendly presence in my room, I found out that I could sleep without fearing the darkness anymore. From that day on, I imagined them staying next to me Whenever I went to bed.

When time went by, I found myself speaking to them, giving them imaginary personalities. But sadly, my mom and dad affected them.

My mom treated me with no emotion. By 'with no emotion', I mean that she acted coldly. This aspect affected lamb, making her feel as if she'd no emotion. Unlike my mom, she wasn't cold whenever I talked to her, but her voice felt . . . empty. The wolf wasn't an exception either. He attained my father's savagery, making him act more like a wolf.

Still, they were good to me. After years and years, they became more and more life-like to me and they became a part of my life and part of my being. They helped me to cope with the darkness. They comforted me whenever I woke up from my nightmares. And they always had a bedtime story to tell me.

They even helped me when I was living on the streets of Seoul before Ahri tracked me down for using her credit card, always standing guard beside me whenever I lay on a corner of alleyways to sleep.

Strangely, there were only three times when they didn't show up, all relating to Ahri; on Christmas Eve, after the New Year's Eve, and the day when she pinned me to the sofa and drifted into sleep.

I still didn't know why.

"I hope I can devour your nightmares," the wolf said in its deep and savage voice. "Because I want to taste it!"

"Wolf, be sensible, will you?" the lamb scolded him while sitting on the side of my bed. "Nightmares are things that cannot be eaten."

"Well, I could try?"

The lamb sighed while shaking her head in frustration. Then, she turned her masked face to me.

"Anyway Jeffric, what nightmare did you dream today?"

"Was it about the bullies again?" the wolf growled angrily. "Ugh, if I were real, I'd have eaten them all painfully!"

I shook my head.

"No . . . I dreamed about that . . . car accident again."

Nobody spoke for a while. Then, I felt an imaginary hand on my head.

Lamb had placed her hand on my head. I imagined the feeling of a hand pressing on my head, but I knew that it wasn't real. Even though they were real life-like, but physical interactions with them were still unrealistic.

No matter how I tried, I never simulated a realistic feeling.

"It isn't your fault, Jeffric," the Lamb said in her soft voice. "It was the drunken driver's fault."

"I know . . ." I sighed helplessly. "But . . . maybe I could've changed the outcome . . . before it happened."

I closed my eyes.

 _When I loved the girl, she died . . . By loving Ahri, am I bringing destruction to her? If I love her with all my heart . . . would she die too?_

"Maybe I could've saved her . . ."

"There was nothing you could've done about it," the wolf said while coiling around me. "I mean, you were just in elementary back then."

"But whenever I think back to it . . . there were so many ways that I could've stopped it from happening."

"You didn't know that that would happen back then," the lamb said while getting closer to me. "Just let it go, Jeffric. I'm sure that she'd not blame you for her own death."

I opened my eyes, still not fully convinced.

"Ok . . ." Even though I said that I still felt sad.

I lay my head on the pillow while staring up at the dark ceiling and hugging myself after covering myself with my blanket.

Then, the lamb's masked face came into my view. "Do you want me to tell you a story?" The lamb asked while cocking her head sideways.

"Yes please."

"Why can't I tell him a story?" the wolf complained to the lamb.

"Because your voice ruins whatever story you prepared."

"Oh . . ."

I heard the disappointment in the wolf's voice and felt slight pity for him. But the lamb was right. His voice tended to ruin the stories that he told.

I felt myself starting to doze off slightly when she started to tell me the story;

"There was once a little boy with brown hair who was very lonely."

"Why was he lonely?" I asked her while my eyes started to droop in sleepiness.

"Because he was different from everyone, so they discriminated him."

My eyes closed as sleepiness washed over me like a blanket. The smooth voice of the lamp made me even more sleepy. "So . . . what did he do . . . ?"

The lamb's voice started to get fainter by the word. "He created his own friends by splitting himself into three consciousness without him realizing."

Comfortable darkness surrounded me. "So . . . he would always have . . . friends?"

The lamb's voice was now faint as if she was getting out of the range of my hearing distance.

"So he would always have friends . . ."

* * *

 **(A/N)**

 **By the way, I've decided to make the Special Episodes timeless. I know that the world where K/DA happens has a year and such (like Ahri was labeled the most talented new K-pop artist in the 2013 Pop Shine Awards—which doesn't exist in real life) but I've decided that having a specific year would complicate things. And, I've decided that the month wouldn't be consistent with reality from now on because I'd be forced to time skip. So, it's still March in this world.**


	42. Special EP:10 (17 or more)

**_(WARNING!)_**

 ** _You already know this, but I'm telling you again that this is 17+._**

* * *

Somewhere in Seoul, in an apartment, a man was sitting on a chair in the middle of a room that looked as if it was ravaged by a mini-tornado. The man was sitting there like a corpse, his body drooping forward slightly on the chair while staring at his hands that were placed on his lap.

He was an unlucky man; becoming the target of a bully when he was in high school. To make it worse, the bully was _the_ popular kid in the high school, always having his followers consisting of cool, popular, and unkind peers on his sides while receiving love-struck gazes of the girls. He was popular because he had a handsome and devilish face that would make girls blush and boys envy while knowing how to make friends with the right people, making himself gain more strength in the cruel society that was called high school in the process. And, he was tall and had a muscular build that stopped others from contradicting him in anyways.

When the unlucky man was a high school student, he was targeted by the bully when he'd accidentally spilled his lunch over the bully's coat. From that day on, his life instantly turned into a nightmare; being treated like a slave while becoming the bully's punching bag. If he made a single mistake when the bully made him do something, like buying some food from the convenient store, he was instantly got punched or the bully just made his followers do it for him.

When the man had finally graduated high school, he'd thought that his nightmarish life was over and was free to pursue his dream; becoming a musician who plays the guitar and sings.

But it wasn't over.

One day, about three years after graduation, a message came to him from one of the followers of the man who used to be the popular bully in high school. The man who used to be the popular bully had become an idol who was a member of a famous K-pop boy group called 'HyperNova' which had a bad-boy motif while being focused on cool and angsty aspects. But the group had stopped from performing due to some controversies and issues of the members. The message that had sent to the unlucky man contained an invitation to a place and if he didn't come, it was stated that he was going to face consequences.

The memories of being bullied in high school drove him to go to the place where the message had informed about. When he'd arrived there, he found out that it was a night club.

When he'd entered he saw to his horror that the man and the several people who'd followed him in high school were surrounding a woman who was trembling in fear. While being half undressed, they were all laughing at the woman, and her clothes looked as if they were torn by several hands.

Instantly, the unlucky man was detained by two of the followers while being forced to witness the woman being pinned to the ground as her remaining clothes got torn off from her. Then he realized something important. The woman was the actress who played the role of a character named 'Iseul' in a famous drama!

He was then dragged toward her, being surrounded by other people. They'd urged him to rape her, but he'd refused and tried to run away. Instantly, he was met with a series of punches and kicks, their fists and feet hitting him over and over until he finally gave in.

With his clothes pulled off by them, he was forced to take the actress's virginity while tears of misery and guilt filled his eyes as his whole body ached and his consciousness wavered. He was raping a woman against his own will while being negged by people surrounding him, their yells filled with lust that were plowing into his ears driving him insane.

At that moment, his fragile soul that was already in a bad shape due to being bullied for years had shattered completely by unbearable guilt.

From that day on, whenever they called him, he'd to ran to the night club, witnessing other women getting raped by them in front of his eyes. To make things even worse, he had to film videos of the rapes with the phone of the man who used to be the famous bully while receiving abuse and curses from him and his followers. And, the reason why the unlucky man was forced to rape the actress in the first place was to make him an accomplice in order to force him to film videos while making him not report them to the authority. All the people had filmed him when he was forced to rape the actress, so if he called the police on them, they would show the videoes to them and claim that he too was a part of this.

They'd dragged him into a swamp and had made sure that he couldn't escape no matter what. And, they all were holding the evidence that'd definitely get him into prison.

Once again, he was living in a nightmare.

But this time, it was much worse.

He stared down at his hands for a moment longer while remembering what the man who once was a high school bully had said to him after he was forced to rape.

 _"If you tell one god damning thing about this whole 'business' to the police, my friends and I will show them the videos that we took and say that you too were a part of this."_ The man had laughed after saying that as if he was enjoying the moment. _"We'll make sure that we'll drag you down with us, no, RECEIVE A MUCH WORSE PUNISHMENT if we get caught, so you'd better not tell this to anyone. Now, come to this prestigious club whenever we call you. From now on, you'll be the cameraman."_

After that, he'd shouldered past the unlucky man, laughing again while doing so.

 _"By the way, do you know being rich and famous lets you have connections with important people? Even if we get caught, I'll just contact them to give us lighter punishment. Except you, of course."_

The laughter of that cruel, perverted, and manipulative man filled the unlucky man's mind and it seemed to echo around, again and again, forcing him to bury his face in his hands and sob.

"Why . . . Why is this happening to me . . . ?"

He felt as if he was in the cruel man's palm, helpless and weak while being looked down upon and laughed at.

Then, he remembered the actress that he was forced to rape while remembering her screams of pain and agony. He slid down the chair and landed on the ground, his hands still covering his face.

 _Will I ever be forgiven for what I've done . . . ?_

The room echoed with his sobs, making him feel as if he was being surrounded by other people who were living inside their own nightmares.

* * *

While this was happening, something was going on in Ahri's apartment. To be more specific, something was going on inside Jeffric's room.

"He looks so cute!" Kai'Sa gushed while observing Jeffric sleeping on his bed.

Akali, Kai'Sa, and Evelynn had visited Ahri's apartment constantly ever since celebrating Jeffric's adulthood. All five of them, including Jeffric, had a lot of good times just hanging out in Ahri's apartment while doing things like playing video games or just eating snacks while chatting.

One time, Jeffric had to act like Evelynn's chair because he accidentally spilled grape juice on her leather skirt that she'd worn at that time.

"Do you know how much this skirt is, hon?" Evelynn had huffed while sitting on Jeffric's back and crossing her arms.

Jeffric wasn't a strong person and he had to be in a push-up position at that moment, so his arms and legs were trembling as if they were about to fail at any moment.

"I-I'm sorry, E-Evelynn!" Jeffric gasped while his eyes trembled in their sockets due to exhaustion and fear. "P-Please . . . C-Can I g-go—?"

Evelynn had stopped him in mid-sentence by pressing the claw that was attached to her trigger finger onto the back of his neck, making him yelp in pain.

"Hon, this is your punishment so hush. If you speak again, I'll make you pay a fine."

Jeffric had whimpered in fear and stayed quiet.

Ahri, Akali, and Kai'Sa had tried to get Evelynn to forgive him, but she didn't.

A few minutes later, Jeffric had collapsed onto the ground, his body drained of strength, and his collapse made Evelynn fall backward and crash onto the ground on her back.

Ahri still remembered that and she was pretty sure she wouldn't forget about that memory for a while mostly because of the look on Evelynn's face when she'd fallen backward. It was too funny to describe it in words.

Now, all four of them were in Jeffric's room, surrounding his bed while observing Jeffric sleeping. It was 8 AM in the morning, and Akali, Evelynn, and Kai'Sa had just visited her apartment. Ahri was still stressed out by the nightmare she had dreamed while sleeping, but she had put up a smile on her face as if she wasn't suffering at all . . . like she always did in the mornings.

Jeffric hadn't woken up yet, so they decided to observe him sleeping.

To Ahri's relief, Jeffric was sleeping peacefully. It seemed that he wasn't having a nightmare like yesterday night.

Akali pressed a finger on Jeffric's cheek carefully. Jeffric murmured while moving his head slightly. She pressed her finger on the cheek again. Jeffric moved again while groaning silently.

"Yeah, I agree with you, Bokkie," Akali said while barraging Jeffric with her finger. Jeffric curled into a ball slightly as if to block himself from the thing that was bombarding his cheek.

"Oh, stop it Akali," Ahri said while staring worriedly at Jeffric's sleeping face, "you might wake him up."

"Oops, sorry." Akali smiled guiltily while stopping what she was doing.

Evelynn studied Jeffric while tapping her chin with her trigger finger, thinking of something. Suddenly, with a cold smile spreading across her face, she pulled the blanket down, uncovering Jeffric's pajama-wearing body, and started to rake lightly on his back with her golden claws.

Jeffric started to whimper softly while his body started to tremble as if he was being scared by something. "Evelynn . . . please . . . let me go . . . I will do anything . . . D-Don't kill me . . ."

"Eve!" Ahri scolded. "Stop doing that. You're making him dream of nightmares!"

"'I'll do anything' . . . ?" Evelynn mused aloud while stop torturing him. Then she leaned forward and whispered into Jeffric's ear. "I guess you're really afraid of me, hon."

Kai'Sa's hands were both pressed onto her cheeks, her arms supporting the weight of her head with her elbows pressed onto the edge of Jeffric's bed. She was smiling like a girl observing a cute kitten.

"Ahri, he really does resembles you. Are you sure both of you aren't related?"

"I told you already that we took a DNA test after the day we celebrated Jeffric's adulthood," Ahri said while remembering that day. "It turned out that we are 100% not related."

"I still can't believe that you both aren't related at all," Kai'Sa said in an awe-struck voice while continuing to gaze at Jeffric's face.

"Well, there is a difference," Akali spoke in a confident voice. "While Foxy here—" she gestured at Ahri "— is on the beautiful side, the little guy here—" she gestured at Jeffric's sleeping body "—is on the cute side!"

"Cute," Ahri whispered that word under her breath.

She stared at Jeffric's now peaceful face, while the word 'cute' repeated in her mind. She'd thought of that word when she'd seen him for the first time, which was in a hamburger store. Whenever she saw Jeffric, that word kept on repeating in her mind.

She couldn't and had no reason to deny that Jeffric was cute. She remembered his cute and innocent smiles, his embarrassed expressions that made her smile, and his adorable laughter that made her heart race. She remembered his pair of green eyes; filled with pureness and kindness while a tinge of sadness was shown deep inside them. She remembered those eyes staring at her, always filling with awe and wonder whenever she was in their sights.

He was always a cure for her nightmares. Whenever she saw him in the mornings, the memories of her nightmares dissipated as if Jeffric was a beam of sunlight driving off the darkness of the night.

Those thoughts made her heart beat faster and faster while feeling her cheeks getting warmer. She pressed a hand on her chest just above the heart, trying to subside it while smiling down at the adorable and youthful male who looked more like a girl than a boy with his long brown hair and his facial resemblance with her face.

"Ara ara . . ." She whispered softly. Then, realizing what she'd just said, covered her mouth with both of her hands while her eyes grew wide in horror.

But it was too late.

Akali, Evelynn, and Kai'Sa turned their heads toward Ahri, expressions of utter shock forming on Akali and Kai'Sa's faces while Evelynn just raised her right eyebrow.

"Ah-Ahri . . ." Akali said in a shocked voice. "I didn't know that you were into anime too . . ."

"And I didn't know that you were a . . . shotacon," Kai'Sa spoke in the same manner as she started to step backward.

"Quick! Call the police!" Akali shouted at Evelynn while winking at her, indicating that she was just merely joking.

"Got it," Evelynn answered while pulling out her smartphone from her pocket, smiling coldly back at Akali, making Akali wonder if she was serious.

"N-No! Please, d-don't!" Ahri yelled while her face grew pale. "I'm not a shotacon nor a pedophile! A-And, Jeffric is legal!"

"But he _looks_ like a shota!" Akali said while smiling teasingly. "So it kinda counts."

"I-I . . . uh . . ." Ahri looked around wildly. Then, her eyes settled on Evelynn.

"E-Evelynn! Please don't call the police!" Ahri begged while falling onto her knees and giving Evelynn the puppy dog eyes while clasping both of her hands.

Evelynn caressed her chin thoughtfully. Then the cold smile came back to her face. "I won't call the police . . . if Akali kisses my forehead."

"Wait, _WHAT_?!"

Akali stumbled back, shocked at what she'd just heard.

Ahri instantly leaped at Akali like a fox on its prey. Before Akali could even react, she'd grabbed her right arm.

"Quickly, Bokkie, grab her left arm!" She yelled.

"Yes, ma'am." Kai'Sa instantly grabbed Akali's left arm after skipping to her.

"W-Wait a second!" Akali started to struggle against Ahri and Kai'Sa, but because of Kai'Sa's strength and height and Ahri's firm grip, she couldn't get out of their grasps. She could try using martial art to get out, but she feared that she'd hurt them in the process.

Both Ahri and Kai'Sa dragged the struggling body of Akali in front of Evelynn.

"Kai'Sa, weren't you on my side?!" Akali cried out in the middle of the struggle.

Kai'Sa just shrugged while smiling. "I'm in the middle."

The commotion made Jeffric wake up. After blinking several times, he sat upright while yawning and stretching his arms upwards as he groaned.

"Wh-What's going on . . . ?" He asked groggily.

"Now, kiss her forehead, Akali!" Ahri yelled while both she and Kai'Sa pushed her in front of Evelynn while still not letting her go.

"No way!" Akali struggled even more while an expression of horror filled her face.

Jeffric blinked.

"Uhh . . . What's happening . . . ?"

"Oh, come on, Rogue. Are you actually scared to kiss me on the forehead?" Evelynn crossed her arms while half closing her eyes and smiling slyly as if to show that she was amused.

"N-No I'm not!"

"Yes, you are, Rogue." Evelynn leaned closer to Akali, their faces almost touching while their eyes bored into each other even though Evelynn was wearing her pair of round and purple sunglasses. "Or should I call you a 'scaredy-cat'?"

Akali puffed out her cheeks in refusal.

"A-Alright! I'll kiss your forehead . . ."

Then, she squeezed her eyes shut, leaned forward, quickly kissed Evelynn on the forehead and then straightened up again, still having her eyes shut tight.

Ahri and Kai'Sa released Akali who instantly fell onto the ground on her knees, just like Ahri a moment ago, while covering her face with both of her hands.

"I can't believe I just did that . . ." She moaned in distress.

Evelynn just laughed silently while putting her smartphone back into her pocket, making Ahri feel relieved.

Jeffric blinked in confusion. Then, he laid down on his bed and covered his whole body, including his head, with his blanket. He decided that the things he'd just witnessed were all a weird dream, and he was going to wake up at any moment.

Ahri noticed this, and quickly pulled the blanket away from him, making him yelp in surprise.

"Come on, Jeffric darling!" Ahri said enthusiastically. "Time to eat breakfast."

"N-No thank you . . ." Jeffric answered nervously while glancing at Ahri with unease. "I-I need to wake up from this dream, you see . . ."

Evelynn sat down on the edge of the bed, smiling down at him while crossing her legs and licking her lips threateningly.

"Oh, but Jeffric, hon," she drawled, "this isn't a dream, so you should better get out of bed . . . or else."

Jeffric, now realizing this wasn't a dream, whimpered fearfully as his eyes opened wide with fright.

"Eve!" Ahri scolded her. "Don't scare him, please!"

Evelynn smiled cooly while raising both of her hands to show her that she'll stop.

After she glared at the diva, Ahri turned her head to smile at Jeffric who still had a fearful look on his face.

"Let's have breakfast, Jeffric," she said in a comforting voice.

* * *

We all had breakfast in the big dining room. Akali had brought some spicy cups of ramyun with her, and I gotta say that they were tasty. I fished, metaphorically, some noodles out of the cup with my pair of wooden chopsticks and inhaled them. Then, I started chewing, savoring the spicy taste and then gulped down.

"This is so delicious, Akali!" I said while beaming at her and waving the wooden chopsticks that I was holding to emphasize my point. "You're the best."

She smiled proudly, placing her fist on her chest to show how proud she was of herself.

"I know the best ramyun noodles in the market! After all, I'm a ramyun enthusiast."

"By being an enthusiast, she might get fat someday," Kai'Sa whispered at me jokingly while winking.

"H-Hey!" Akali said while glaring at Kai'Sa who was now giggling. "I do a lot of workouts to _not_ get fat!"

Evelynn laughed her usual cold laugh after she drank a cup of milk.

"You do a lot of workouts, Akali, I know that. But, can you please decrease the noises that you make whenever you're doing it? I could hear the sounds of your huffing and puffing even in my room."

"W-Wait, you both live in the same apartment?" I asked while looking at Akali and Evelynn in surprise. I was sure that Akali was rich enough to rent or even buy an apartment.

"Yes, hon," Evelynn answered while nodding.

"But why?"

Evelynn looked accusingly at Akali who whistled nervously.

"Because she says that she is too lazy to rent an apartment by herself."

"Well, at least I clean your place for you . . ." Akali answered nervously while fidgeting slightly.

". . . and then, you broke my vacuum cleaner."

Now sweat trickled down Akali's forehead while she siped the soup of the cup ramyun, as if to postpone her answer. Then she placed the cup ramyun on the table while nervously eyeing Evelynn who had her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed.

"I'll pay for it . . ." She answered while giving the terrifying and the cold woman a trembling smile.

Evelynn sighed like a person who was trying to keep the frustration from showing.

"Rogue, you broke my vacuum cleaner _two weeks ago_."

"A-Alright, guys!" Ahri interfered while laughing nervously. "Let's finish our cups of ramyun. I mean, we don't want them to get cold, right?"

We all nodded and continued eating.

After we finished eating out cups of ramyun, we brushed our teeth. By the time I finished, it was already around 9:30 AM. I'd changed the time schedule, so now, I'd to go to the small art academy until 10 AM and get out at 12 PM.

"So, I must be going now, Ahri," I said while putting on my sneakers and slinging over my backpack. "I'll be back after 6 PM."

Ahri tilted her head slightly sideways with a confused look on her face.

"Why are you coming back so late?"

"Oh . . . uh . . . it's . . . adult business!" I said while smiling nervously. The truth was, I had gotten myself a parttime job at a convenience store. But I didn't want to tell her that because she might not be pleased.

I waved goodbye at the members of K/DA who all waved back at me. Then, I opened the door and walked out of Ahri's apartment.

* * *

"Adult business?" Evelynn asked in an amused voice. "I wonder what that means."

Ahri frowned slightly in confusion. "Me too."

"Maybe you should find out what that is," Akali called out.

Akali and Kai'Sa were watching their favorite drama on TV while sitting on the sofa.

Ahri nodded slowly. "Yeah . . . I should."

* * *

I entered the small building, hitched a ride on the elevator and went up to the second floor. Then, I walked through the hallway until I was in front of the door of the small art academy. I opened the door and entered, smiling broadly.

"Hello, ma'am! I'm here—" I stopped in the middle of my sentence and stared at somebody that was standing in front of me, not believing my eyes. I blinked. Then, horror spread like wildfire inside me as my eyes grew wide. No, it didn't spread like a wildfire. It spread like a deadly virus that could kill people by the thousands.

 _No . . . No, please god . . . Wh-What is she doing here?!_

At that moment, I remembered how cruel fate was in life.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

Finally, the dreaded name came out from my mouth as my legs started to tremble like a tree that was about to topple down to the ground.

"R-R-R-Riven . . . ?" I said, and I heard my voice trembling uncontrollably.

I couldn't believe it. When I was finally living a happy life . . .

The past had caught up with me.

* * *

 **(A/N)**

 **"Arm yourself, a storm is coming. Well, kid, what you gonna do now?"—A lyric from the Worlds 2019 song, _Phoenix_  
**

 **Oh, and Merry Christmas and I hope that this chapter didn't ruin your mood :)**


	43. Happy New Year

**(A/N)**

 **Hey guys! Since the new year and the start of a new decade is here, I decided to write something that celebrates it. This is just a funny short story that you can just read and chuckle, so I hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

"So, new year, huh?" Akali asked while hugging her teddy bear in her lap. "I can't believe that it's finally here!"

We were all sitting on the floor of the living room; surrounding the coffee table while blankets covered our bodies. The lights were off, but two candles that were placed on the coffee table gave off a warm light that lit up all five of our faces.

"And I can't believe that you're hugging a teddy bear," Evelynn commented while staring at the stuffed bear in Akali's arms. "I didn't know that you'd a childish side, Rogue."

Akali blushed a little while hugging the bear more tightly.

"I-It's just m-my lucky charm, Eve! D-Don't just jump to conclusions . . ."

"It's ok to have a childish side, Akali," Kai'Sa said while holding out a stuffed koala and beaming. "As you already know, I always sleep while hugging my koala!"

I imagined Kai'Sa hugging the stuffed koala while she slept on her bed, snoring softly while her chest rose and fell.

I had to say, that was cute.

"I agree with Kai'Sa," Ahri said. She was sitting next to me, and we were sharing the same blanket. Suddenly, she turned to me and hugged me! "I mean, I have a stuffed doll right next to me! His name is Jeffric and he wants to say hi to you."

She grasped my right arm and started to wave it in front of me to make it look as if I was waving my hand.

"Ah-Ahri . . ." I whispered while blushing with embarrassment. "P-Please . . . stop d-doing that . . ."

"Anyways," Evelynn said while looking around the table, "soon, a new year will begin, so let's do something meaningful."

"Like what?" Akali asked grumpily. "Beating you with my teddy bear?"

"Well, no." Evelynn gave a small frown at Akali who just stuck out her tongue in reply. "I was wondering if we could each make a wish for the new year."

"Oh, that's a good idea!" I said while clapping my hands in delight.

"Hmm . . . then I'll go first," Akali said and yawned sleepily. "Because I really want to sleep right after it becomes 12 AM."

Evelynn gave Akali her usual cold smile. "Well, go ahead then."

Akali pondered for a moment while touching her chin. Then she said; "I wish that I could beat Evelynn on something."

"I'll make sure that your wish would never happen," Evelynn said.

"I'll be next," Kai'Sa said enthusiastically while waving her hand in the air. "This year, I wish that nobody here gets harmed!"

Evelynn nodded. "Now, I'll make a wish."

She thought for just a few seconds, her eyes narrowing while doing so. "I wish . . . that we all have a good time."

"My turn!" Ahri announced while puffing out her cheeks.

"So, what's your wish?" I asked, curious about what she'd wished for,

Ahri turned her head and smiled warmly down at me.

"For your wellbeing, of course."

She winked at me, making me blush.

"Now, it's your turn, Jeffric," Akali said while leaning forward slightly in anticipation.

I looked around at the other four who were sitting around the coffee table, feeling nervous. They all stared back at me, waiting for my answer.

After gulping down air, I finally spoke; "I wish that we all live happily ever after."

The other four nodded to show that they understood what I said.

Just then, Akali pulled out her smartphone from underneath her blanket and checked the time

"Hey, guys! We only have one-minute and 4 seconds left before the new year!"

"Start the countdown!" Ahri said excitedly.

We all started to count the seconds down and soon we reached one.

"Three . . . Two . . . One . . ."

Then we all yelled; "Happy new year!" and blew out the candles on the coffee table, the living room becoming dark in an instant.

"Happy new year, everyone!" from the darkness, I heard Akali whooping. Then I heard her yawning loudly. "Dang, I really gotta sleep . . . good night, folks. . ."

And that was how my new year celebration ended.


	44. Special EP:11 (17 or more)

**_(WARNING!)_**

 ** _You already know this, but I'm telling you again that this is 17+._**

* * *

Evelynn was lying on Jeffric's bed with her legs crossed while her head pressed onto the pillow. She was staring up at the ceiling of his room while daydreaming about something. Then, she yawned and licked her lips.

"So . . . Jeffric sleeps on this bed, huh . . ." Her voice was filled with amusement. After saying that, she laughed in a seductive manner and rubbed her body against the mattress.

Suddenly, the door opened and Akali stepped in. "Oh, there you were Eve. I just want to ask—" She stopped in mid-sentence when she saw that Evelynn was lying on Jeffric's bed. ". . . why are you lying on Jeffric's bed?"

"I absolutely have no idea," Evelynn answered in a lazy manner while closing her eyes.

Akali didn't answer for a moment. Then Evelynn heard footsteps getting closer. Then she heard Akali saying in an exasperated voice: "Please don't tell me that you're having a . . . 'fantasy' about Jeffric."

Evelynn just smirked. "Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not." When she heard Akali sighing, her smirk grew even more.

"Anyways, Ahri just left to visit her fashion designer friends. She told me that they've made something new for her."

"I already know she'd left, Rogue. I heard the front door opening and closing."

"Oh."

Suddenly, Evelynn felt a heavyweight being set onto the edge of the bed. When she opened her right eye to gaze at what the source was, she saw Akali sitting on the edge of the bed with her back facing her. If she moved her crossed legs slightly to the side, her foot might hit Akali's side.

"It's good to see Ahri returning to her usual self, am I right?" Akali asked in a relieved voice while crossing her legs that were hanging over the bed's edge. "I mean, she didn't visit those fashion designers for a long time."

"And, she started to shop at the emporiums again too," Evelynn added. "Though, she still didn't return to gracing walkways on fashion shows."

"Maybe it's too tiring for her," Akali suggested in a thoughtful voice.

"Maybe."

Akali stretched her arms into the air while slightly groaning. "Well, anyway, I think Jeffric helped her out on relieving the stress by being next to her."

"Oh? What makes you say that?"

"Didn't you see how she'd looked at Jeffric when he was still asleep?" Akali placed her hand on the bed to emphasize the event that'd happened just a few hours ago. "Something about her gaze was much happier than . . . that day. And she seems to be a lot more . . . how do I put it . . . energetic whenever she is with him."

Evelynn knew what she was talking about. A few months ago, when Ahri had told them that she needed a break, she looked as if she was drained of her usual lively-energy. She was, after all, suffering from hate mails that were sent by the anti-fans. And when Evelynn had seen her eyes, they were empty like a void; filled with emptiness. Then, she recalled how her eyes looked a few hours ago when they were staring at Jeffric's sleeping form. They were filled with affection, tenderness, joy, and . . . love?

 _I'm not sure about the last part . . ._ Evelynn thought. "I think you're right, Akali."

There was a pause for a moment.

"By the way, we should visit the K/DA house again soon. I mean, we didn't visit there for a few months." There was a hint of longing in Akali's voice.

"Yeah, I agree," Evelynn answered while touching her chin with her left hand. "The place might be filled with dust by now."

The K/DA house. It was a large and clean-looking housing that had a modern vibe to it. It had its own dance studio with mirrored walls, a workout room, a kitchen, and a karaoke room where they practiced their singing, and a living room where they sat and chatted or fooled around. They used to visit there constantly when they were creating the song POP/STARS. Evelynn still remembered their time at that place; having fun, discussing their ideas, practicing dancing, and etc. And she remembered how joyful and energized Ahri had looked.

 _I wonder how it'd felt like to her when she'd received hate from those monsters for just doing the thing that she loves the most . . ._

Then, Evelynn thought of something. "Hey, Akali. Do you remember the day when we received an email from an anti-fan?"

"Which one?"

"The one with the disturbing digital drawings of us attached to it."

Akali shuddered when she heard what Evelynn had said as if she was remembering something unpleasant and traumatizing. "Oh . . . that one. I'm still having a hard time getting over what I'd seen."

Evelynn sighed. "It was a good thing that Ahri didn't see the drawings when we opened them. If she did . . . I'm pretty sure that she'd have quit being a pop star . . . with all those hate mails that she'd received at that time."

She saw Akali slumping forward slightly. At that moment, she looked defeated. "Evelynn . . . can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Rogue. What is it?"

She saw Akali pressing her left palm on her forehead while her right one gripped tightly on the edge of the bed, making her hand turn pale. "Why . . . why do some people find it arousing to . . . to see women getting killed or tortured brutally in an 'erotic' and disturbing way . . . ?"

Evelynn didn't answer for a moment, thinking through her answers. Finally, she answered, "There are many sick people who have sickening fetishes in this world, Rogue. And that person who sent us those drawings is just one of them."

"But . . . don't you remember what those men in those . . . 'things' did to us? And they portrayed us as . . . as . . . S-Slu—"

"Akali, as I said before, there are many people with sickening fetishes, like people who are into NTR, tentacles, rapes, and . . . gory lewds." Evelynn sat up on the bed and gently put her arms around Akali's midsection to comfort her. "Just ignore them, hon. Pretend that they do not exist in this world."

Akali nodded slowly while still not putting her hand down from her forehead. "I . . . I know," she finally said. Then, she sighed. "I'll . . . I'll try my best then."

"You go, girl," Evelynn said while smiling warmly which was rare to her. Then, she slapped Akali on the behind, making her yelp and jump off from the bed.

"Wh-What was that for?!" She yelled in a surprised voice while staring at Evelynn with a shocked expression on her face.

Evelynn just laughed while putting the back of her hand in front of her mouth. "Nothing."

Akali huffed while crossing her arms. "Anyways . . . have you ever felt as if the emails from the anti-fans weren't the only reason why she'd taken the break?"

Evelynn cocked her head sideways questioningly. "No, I haven't. Why do you say so?"

"Well, I don't know exactly," Akali said while scratching the side of her neck. "But I just have this feeling that there's something more to it."

* * *

I couldn't believe it. No, I refused to believe it. Standing in front of me was Riven, a high school bully who used to push me around at school. I felt as if I was struck by lightning while the fear that I hadn't felt for a long time got unleashed from the deep depths of my soul, feeling as if cold water was spreading everywhere inside my body. Suddenly, my vision started to flicker in and out of past experiences with her at a lightning speed as if someone was switching channels of a TV;

 _I was running through a crowded hallway with a plastic bag filled with some snacks that I'd bought from the school convenient store in my left hand. I was wearing my old school uniform which wasn't welcoming to me like the school that I was now in. I ran until I'd reached my classroom. I quickly opened the door and ran in, out of breath while wheezing like crazy._

 _Then I went straight to Riven's seat while feeling myself sweating for what was to come. "R-Riven . . . I got the snacks that you'd asked for . . ." Riven was sitting on her chair while being surrounded by some girls who were well known for their cruelty. She was wearing the school uniform; the skirt slightly shorter than normal while wearing a dark jacket over her top. She had short white hair, a clump of it tied behind her head and she had a white line tattoo under her left eye. She examined me with the usual deadpan expression on her face._

 _"What are you waiting for?" One of the girls said while scowling at me. "Give it to her right now, moron."_

 _While trembling, I placed the plastic bag on her desk. Riven stared into it, and, to my horror, I saw her face contorting into annoyance. "These aren't the flavors that I'd asked for."_

 _I felt my blood running cold as ice. "B-But didn't you tell me that y-you wanted a-a barbeque f-flavor . . . ?"_

 _Riven set her now anger-filled eyes onto me, making me flinch. "No, I told you to get the spicy ones!" Suddenly, she threw the plastic bag filled with snacks at me, catching me off guard. It collided with my face, making me yelp while I brought both of my hands to my face as the bag fell to the ground. I felt as if I had hurt my soul instead of my face, making my eyes teary._

 _"I lost my appetite," Riven said in her usual hard voice. "Let's go somewhere else, guys." She sat up from her seat and went to the classroom's door, the girls following her while glancing at me as if I was a low creature. "By the way, I'll teach you a lesson later for wasting my money on the snacks that I didn't ask for, Jeffric!" I heard Riven yelling at me._

 _Then the door slammed shut, and I just stood there, staring down at the plastic bag on the ground while my body trembled. Tears were trying to flow out of my eyes, but I tried to prevent it from happening. Sadly, the whisperings and laughter of the students around me weren't helping because those were all directed toward me._

 _". . . pathetic . . ."_

 _". . . moron . . ."_

 _". . . loser . . ."_

 _I felt a tear trickling down my cheek and saw it fall to the plastic bag, landing onto its surface._

 _I was standing on the back of the classroom while nervously looking at Riven who was standing in front of me with her arms crossed._

 _"So, did you bring the money?" she asked while her frown deepened._

 _I nodded and pulled out some paper money from my uniform pants pocket with my trembling hands. "H-Here . . ." I had to secretly pull them out from my mom's wallet, so that meant that I shouldn't go to the karaoke room for a while because if I took more, she would notice._

 _When I handed them to her, she counted how much there was which didn't take long. She glared at me with accusation in her eyes. "I thought that I'd asked for you to bring six thousand won, not three thousand."_

 _"I . . . uhh . . . I-I had to t-take a small amount of money from my mom for her to not notice. . ."_

 _Riven was silent for a moment. Then she raised her face slightly to look down at me as if I was filth on her shoes while a look of disgust spread across her face. "Pathetic," she said in her annoyance-filled voice. "What are you, a baby?"_

 _Then, she walked toward her seat, leaving me with shame descending upon me as my shoulders slumped._

 _I was pinned to the wall with her right hand gripping my throat, making me choke and gag while writhing in pain. Riven was staring straight into my eyes with her brown ones that were filled with anger. We were at the back of the school building after school had ended. There was no one around us, the afternoon breeze touching our skin while the sky turned orange._

 _"What do you mean that you can't buy a beer?" she growled at me, her fingers digging into my throat._

 _"I-I'm not an a-adult," I choked out while I grasped the arm to pull her hand off my throat. "A-And I-I can't steal my parent's . . ."_

 _"I don't care." She grasped one of my arms and twisted it, forcing a choked-up scream out of me. "All I care is you bringing me a beer!"_

 _"Wh-Why are you d-doing this to m-me?" I suddenly blurted out while starting to cry. The frustration of being bullied for an unknown reason by her that had been building up inside me had finally broken out, making me burst out with that question. "What have I ever done to you . . . ?"_

 _She just stared at me, not saying a word. Then, her eyes got narrower. "Do you want to know the reason? Then I'll tell you." She laughed without any humor while sounding as cold as steel. "It's because whenever I see foolish people like you who act all pure and innocent makes me feel angry." Her veins started to pop on her arm that was holding me. "Can't you see, Jeffric? People like you are just pathetic excuses of human beings to everyone around them by standing out with their revolting existence."_

 _Her anger started to grow. Her grip tightened, even more, making my eyes bulge while I let out a silent scream. Now, she looked really mad; eyes starting to get bloodshot, jaw clenched, her breathing becoming more heavier, her whole body starting to shake in rage._

 _"You don't belong here, you piece of trash!" she yelled at me while shaking me violently. "You shouldn't have ever existed in this dark and merciless world! You should've died out with the rest of the hopeless dreams and longings of the rest of us!" Then, she whirled around and threw me, the releasing of her grip around my throat causing me to gasp out loud. Then, I hit the ground hard, forcing a yelp out of me. Riven trudged toward me while her body was trembling so much with rage and now hate that she seemed as if she'd burst at any moment. **"WHY SHOULD PEOPLE LIKE YOU BE THE ONLY ONES WITH PURENESS STILL IN THEIR HEARTS WHEN THE PURENESS OF THE REST OF US WAS RIPPED AWAY AT AN EARLY AGE?! WHY SHOULD PEOPLE LIKE YOU STAY INNOCENT WHEN WE WERE FORCED TO FACE THE CRUEL REALITY OF THIS WORLD?!"**_

 _I stood up quickly to run, but she grabbed me by my hair and yanked upward, forcing me to face her. Now, she looked more like a beast than a human; now only savageness evident on her face while her bloodshot brown eyes were devoided of humaneness. "I'll make sure to take them away from you and make you one of us . . . just as everyone should be."_

 _I was walking down a small and empty street while feeling empty. That day, I was harassed more than usual not just by Riven but also by other bullies. I sighed heavily as I stared at the ground. Then, I heard a scream coming from nearby. I stopped immediately and looked around, a mixture of fear and confusion filling my heart._

 _'What was that?' I thought._

 _Then, I heard the scream again, and I ran without thinking toward the direction that it'd come from. Soon, I was standing in the entrance of an alleyway, staring into it and not believing what I was witnessing._

 _A white-haired girl who was wearing my school's uniform was lying on the ground, and she was surrounded by other girls who all looked as if they were from a different high school with their different school uniforms. They were definitely bullies; with heavy makeup, dyed hair, and short skirts while some wore baseball jackets over their top. While laughing, they kicked the girl on the ground, making her scream in pain again and again. They were too busy beating the girl that they didn't even notice me staring at them from the entrance of the alleyway._

 _I stood there, not knowing what to do while my body trembled in fear._

 _'I should help her . . . but if I do, what if I get hurt myself . . . ? What if they start bullying me . . . ? What if by helping her, my life gets more unbearable . . . ? But just walking away isn't right . . .'_

 _While I was pondering this, the girl raised her head, and my eyes grew wide when our eyes met._

 _The girl was Riven._

 _"Hey, Riven," one of the girls said in a taunting voice, "are you stupid? I mean, did you actually think that I'd not bring my friends to the fight?" Then, she stomped her foot on the Riven's back, making her scream again. The other girls, whom I presumed were the friends of the girl who'd just spoken, all laughed cruelly and continued beating Riven._

 _Riven, even though she was getting beaten, had her eyes on me. And, for the first time in my life, I saw something other than anger or coldness in them._

 _I saw desperation for help._

 _Suddenly, as if those eyes had triggered something within me, all the memories of her beating me overflowed my vision, blocking the view in front of me. They mixed together like some kind of a chaotic storm, sounds forming into a series of shouts and cries, the images blending and contorting together, causing Riven's multiple rage-filled faces to look monstrous than humane._

 _I stumbled back in fright. Then, I whirled around and ran blindly away, trying my best to escape from those images and the sounds as my panicked breathing intensified._

I shook my head violently, trying my best to push the memories back into the deep depths of my mind where they belonged. Riven just stood there, just staring at me with something in her eyes. Anger? No, it wasn't anger. Hatred? No, it didn't even resemble it.

Concern . . . ?

"Oh . . . Jeffric . . . welcome!" I jolted and whirled around to see the woman, the owner and the teacher of the art academy standing behind—now in front of—me. "Have . . . you . . . just . . . met . . . with . . . my . . . new . . . assistant?"

"Y-Yeah, I did." I nervously glanced back at Riven who still didn't do anything.

* * *

Now, I was sitting in a chair while staring at my sketchbook which was set on the easel that the teacher had set up for me. My palette, a bottle that was already filled with water, and a pencil case were all placed on the floor next to my chair. I was currently holding my 4B pencil in my right hand, but the hand wasn't moving at all. That was because I didn't know what to draw. Usually, my mind always came up with ideas as quick as lightning, but today . . . no idea came out. So instead, I decided to look around.

Before, the academy was empty whenever I came in late afternoons. Yes, now I came here before noon, but when I'd asked the teacher about how many people attended the before noon classes, she'd told me that there were none because all people who attended her academy came at afternoons at about 4 PM, an hour earlier than me when I was attending in late afternoon which was 5 PM. Plus, they only attended for an hour. Now, when I'd changed my schedule to before noon, there were five people in the art academy. And for some reason, they were all women who all looked as if they were around the early or late twenties.

When I looked around, I caught the eyes of the five women who all blushed and looked away. I blinked in confusion. For some reason, all the women blushed and looked away whenever they caught my eyes. I still didn't know why.

Then, I glanced toward the direction where Riven was. She was helping a woman draw on the sketchbook with the 4B pencil. I stared at her in bewilderment because I didn't know that she was into art. She must've noticed me staring because she turned her head toward my direction, so I quickly went back to looking at my sketchbook while my body trembled in fear.

After staring at the sketchbook for a few minutes, I placed the 4B pencil on my pencil case. Then, I raised my hand slightly into the air to get the attention of my teacher who was helping a woman who was putting color on the sketchbook with the brush. When she walked up to me, I asked her if I could go to the bathroom.

"Certainly . . . Jeffric . . ." she said.

I stood up while trying my best to not look at the direction where Riven was, and quickly walked across the room while passing by the five women who all seemed to have their eyes locked onto me. I opened the door, stepped out, and closed the door behind me. Then, I ran toward the door that led to the staircase.

Soon, I was running down the stairs, while panic drove me.

 _Riven is here . . . Riven . . . She is here . . . SHE IS HERE!_

I reached the first level and ran out. There was an alleyway next to the building, so I ran in deep into it and then stopped while breathing heavily. I pressed my left hand on the side of the alleyway wall while clutching my chest with the right one. I'd been holding back my urge to run while screaming after I'd met my teacher. But I had to run out just a moment ago because it was getting too hard to hold back.

"Are you alright, Jeffric?" A familiar voice said from beside me. I glanced sideways in surprise and saw lamb standing next to me, her head cocked to one side while wolf was floating behind her. My mouth dropped open, not believing what I was seeing.

"How . . . How are you here?!"

"Well, we don't know either," the wolf answered while coiling around the lamb. "But we think it has something to do with you meeting Riven."

"Perhaps the shock of meeting her forced us to come out at daylight." While saying that, the lamb patted the wolf on the head, causing him to make a purring sound.

"Riven . . ." I stared down at the ground while. "I-I can't believe she is here . . ." My mind kept on reminding me of all the things that she'd done to me at high school, and it caused a feeling as if I was experiencing all of them at once. My body trembled uncontrollably as if it was getting electrocuted as it got worse and worse while I could no longer breathe. I tried to inhale air but I felt as though something was blocking my airway. I clutched my throat with both of my hands while my eyes grew even wider.

"Jeffric, you need to calm down." The lamb's insistent voice pierced through the veil of the memories and struck me, dispersing them slightly enough for me to breathe. I breathed heavily while unclutching both of my hands.

"Yes . . . You . . . are right."

"So, I guess we should tell Ahri that you're not going to attend that art academy from now on," the wolf said in a serious voice. "With her there."

I froze. "N-No . . . I can't," I stuttered. "I love the art academy . . . th-there's no way I'm quitting it."

The lamb stared at me in confusion. Even though she was wearing a mask I knew she was staring at me like that. "But if you don't, you have to see Riven five times a week."

I shuddered as that ugly truth hit me like a chair to my head.

 _What was I going to do . . . ?_

I was deep in thought but was brought back to my senses when I heard someone approaching from the entrance of the alleyway. I turned around to face the entrance and saw Riven walking straight toward me.

"It's Riven!" lamb gasped in shock. "Run, Jeffric! Run!"

I squeaked in terror and started to stumble backward, but I tripped and fell, landing on my behind. As Riven came closer and closer like a reaper coming to take my soul to the afterlife, the overwhelming sensation of fear forced me to not move a muscle. Both wolf and lamb kept on yelling at me to run, but I didn't budge. No, I couldn't budge.

Soon, she was towering over me, her eyes staring down at me while the wind rustled her white hair.

"P-Please don't hurt me . . ." I whispered as I felt my eyes tearing up. "P-Please . . . I will do anything . . ."

Riven just stood there, and that was when I saw something that resembled concern in her eyes again. Then, to my surprise, I noticed that her legs were shaking slightly and her eyes were trembling. Suddenly, she fell onto her knees with her head bowed.

I stared at her, unable to believe what was happening in front of my eyes. _Wh-What is going on?!_

As her body shook, I heard her say, "Jeffric . . . please forgive me."

Before I could even respond, I saw something drop onto the floor from her face. It was a tear.

Riven was crying!

* * *

The man in his apartment was still sitting on the chair but had stopped sobbing. He was staring at the screen of his smartphone, his empty eyes glinting in the light that was produced by it. The screen was showing a chatting room where over fifteen people were in. He was observing the friends of the cruel man who were chatting about what'd happened on the last night at the club:

 **:That sl*t was so fantastic!**

 **:lol i thought so too**

 **:man, did u guys see how she sucked my ****?**

 **:Yeah. And did you see the look on her face when I impaled that wh*re? That was so priceless!**

 **:She has the perfect body in my opinion haha**

 **:Damn her breasts were HUGE!**

The man closed his eyes for a moment, feeling of disgust rising from the center of his being. This chatting room was where they communicated. Sometimes, they talked dirty things about the women who were forced to come at the nightclub and other times they posted videos that they'd taken by themselves in the nightclub when they were raping the women. When he opened his eyes, he saw that the cruel man who used to be the high school bully had sent a message to the chatting room.

 **:hey loser come to the nightclub at 12 AM today. dont be late or else ill personally rip out ur intestines and sell them to the black market**

 **:Dude, tell that guy to record the video with more care this time. Seriously, the last time he was recording the video with your smartphone, I saw his hands shaking.**

The man shuddered while gulping in terror. Now dread and guilt had replaced the feeling of disgust.

"Oh no . . ." he whispered helplessly as he covered his face with his free hand. "When . . . when will I be freed from this torment . . . ?"


	45. Special EP:12 (Not 17 or more)

_It was snowing, countless snow falling toward earth like dust. At a playground, a little girl who was around four or five was making a snowman while looking as if she was on the verge of crying. She was wearing an old winter coat and a pair of worn-out gloves. She tried her best to make a snowman, but the result didn't look good. The snowman was small and lumpy, its arms which were sticks were small, and the facial features that the girl had created by placing tiny pebbles onto its face looked deformed._

 _The girl stared at her creation while trying to hold back tears. She'd an expression of a person who'd lived without any joy in his or her life; filled with fear and depression as if the whole world was in darkness. An expression that no child should ever have on their faces._

 _Just a moment ago, she'd watched in horror as her parents yelled and shouted at each other violently, lashing out at each other for some reason unknown to her. Today wasn't the first, but it was the most vicious one. So, the girl had run out of her apartment to the nearest playground after putting on her old winter coat because, through the window, she'd seen snow falling. The pair of gloves were inside the coat's pocket, so she'd decided to build a snowman to make herself feel better._

 _But it didn't._

 _Suddenly, she heard happy laughter coming from the entrance of the playground. She glanced toward that direction and saw that a happy family of three was entering the snow-covered playground, not noticing her standing in the corner in front of her pathetic-looking snowman._

 _The girl watched as the family started to build snowmen. She saw them laughing happily while building them with joyful smiles on their faces. She saw how happy they were. The parents weren't fighting each other with hatred contorting their faces and the small boy didn't look fearful._

 _The girl kept on watching them until they built three snowmen. She heard them chatting happily while the mom took a picture of the three snowmen with her phone. Then, they walked out of the playground, leaving the girl alone. She just stood there, staring at the family with a longing glance. Then, she looked at the three snowmen that they'd built. Two snowmen were big while a small snowman stood between them. They looked perfect, unlike hers. She looked back at her creation. It was alone and was imperfect._

 _While staring at her snowman, she remembered the little boy. He looked so innocent and harmless as if his life wasn't filled with fear like hers. Moreover, his parents seemed to be happy with each other, from the looks of their smiles._

 _"I wish mama and papa stop fighting . . ." The girl whispered. "I wish . . . they were happy . . . like them."_

 _The girl kept on remembering how the family looked do happy with each other. The more she thought of them, the more something boiled from deep within her, like a volcano ready to explode. The girl didn't understand what it was and she was confused about it. It started to feel as if it would explode at any moment. She fell onto her knees while clutching her chest, struggling to settle it down. But in the end, it didn't and she found herself starting to sob in misery and felt her face muscles starting to contort into an expression that she'd never made before in her life as the feeling of something boiling within her made her body shake violently._

 _"Wh-Why . . ." She growled through gritted teeth as tears that she'd held back for several minutes finally flowed down her cheeks. "Why can't I be happy . . . like that boy?"_

 _As the pathetic snowman that she'd built fell over because of a sudden gush of cold wind, snow started to cover the little girl's hair, almost making it look as if it was white._

* * *

Riven and I was sitting on the side of the alleyway, our backs pressed against its wall. Me, lamb, and wolf were staring at Riven while she was looking down at the ground in shame.

"Since that day, I started lashing out at people at school who talked about family trips or having happy times with their parents." Riven sighed shakily and rubbed her forehead. "As I grew older, I started to become more and more violent toward other people who seemed happier than me . . . and everyone started fearing me." Then, she dropped her hand from her forehead. "Then I met you when we first entered high school . . . do you remember?"

"O-Of course I-I do . . ." I whispered as I started to tremble in fear, remembering what'd happened on that day. She'd dragged me to the back of the school building and started beating me. That was the day when the nightmare called high school began.

"When I first saw you . . . I felt angry. From the looks of your face, I felt certain that, unlike me, you'd grown up while receiving an unlimited amount of love and care from the others . . . especially your parents." She bowed her head even lower. "You . . . you looked so pure and innocent as if you've only felt happiness in your life . . . and I hated seeing it . . . I wanted nothing but to make you feel the pain you've never felt before in your life."

I gulped. "S-So . . . that's why you started bullying m-me . . ."

Riven nodded weakly and squeezed her eyes shut. Her cheeks were still wet from tears while her body shook slightly from the aftermath of crying.

"Y-Yes . . ." Riven answered in a trembling voice. "I'm s-so . . . so sorry . . ."

I stayed silent for a moment while glancing at the lamb and wolf who was in front of me.

Lamb was staring at Riven with her head cocked to one side. "From what I've heard, she's a monster created by her parents."

Wolf floated closer to Riven while making some growling noises. "But forgiving her after what she'd done to Jeffric is not right. I should devour her with my fangs."

"But think about how she would've been if her parents were normal my dear wolf," lamb insisted. "She wouldn't have had the reason to bully him."

I felt numb inside as I imagined what she'd have been like if her parents were better people. Maybe she wouldn't have gone off in a bad direction of life. Maybe she wouldn't have had that coldness in her eyes. Maybe she wouldn't have dyed her hair white or get a tattoo of a white line on her left cheek.

 _I think . . . I should ask her why she is suddenly apologizing to me_ , I said to both of my imaginary friends through my mind.

Then I looked at Riven who still had her eyes shut. "Umm . . . can I ask you why you've decided to apologize to me?" It was jarring to me that Riven was apologizing to me because the Riven that I once knew would've never done that in her lifetime.

Riven opened her eyes and stared at the opposite wall of the alleyway as if she was remembering a long-ago memory. Her trembling was mostly gone and she seemed much calmer than when she was crying. "Do you remember when you saw me being beaten by other girls from another school in an alleyway?" She asked, her voice still slightly trembling.

"Y-Yes."

Riven stared down at her hands and said, "When you ran away, I first felt hatred toward you because you didn't help me even though I needed help." Then she clasped her hands into fists and they started to shake. "But then I realized something . . . I realized how you felt when I beat you again and again. I realized how much pain you've been in whenever I'd bullied you as they beat me. Then I felt guilty for what I've done to you because I finally realized that I'd been inflicting cruel and heartless actions that no person on Earth should endure . . . to you." Then, she turned her head to my direction, her slightly blood-shot sad and guilt-filled eyes meeting mine. "That guilt became so great that I couldn't bring myself to go to high school. Even though I knew that I'd to beg for your forgiveness, I just couldn't bring myself . . . because I feared that you wouldn't forgive me. But when I finally gathered enough courage after several days of just sitting around in my room, I found out that you . . . you dropped out of high school."

Suddenly, her eyes became teary once more. "J-Jeffric, did you quit because you feared me . . . ?"

I glanced sideways at lamb and wolf while searching for an answer as I felt my heart aching. "K-Kind of . . . You were just a part of the reason . . ."

"Ok . . ." She wiped away the tears in her eyes while sniffling.

While watching her, I hesitated for a moment. Then after deciding that I should tell the truth, I said, "Riven, I need to tell you something . . ." When I said that, she looked at me with a worried expression on her face, looking like she was dreading what I was going to say. I looked down at the ground and let out a depressed sigh. "I-I'd a bad childhood . . . like you did."

There was stunned silence for a moment. When I looked at her, I saw Riven staring back at me with a shocked expression on her face as if she couldn't believe what I'd just said. "W-Wait a second. Then that m-means . . ." She covered her mouth with her hand and new tears started to trickle out from her eyes as realization dawned on her. "Oh no . . . I d-discriminated the wrong person . . ."

She bowed her head and covered her face with both of her hands in shame, her body starting to shake violently. "Y . . . You were just like me . . ." She wept. "Y-You were . . ."

She wept in disgrace for a few minutes. Then, when she stopped, she stayed silent for a moment, not moving a muscle and not emitting a single sound.

"Jeffric, w-will you forgive me . . . ?" she finally asked in a trembling small and hollow voice like a person who'd lost everything; devoided of hope and filled with sorrow.

I didn't know what to say.

"She did too much to be forgiven," the wolf growled.

"But she seems to be really apologetic," the lamb commented. "It's your choice to whether or not to forgive her, Jeffric."

I felt like being pulled to two different directions. _Can I forgive her? Is forgiving her the right choice?_ Then I remembered what she'd done to me at high school and how I'd felt like killing myself because of her and the other bullies. I hugged myself tightly in fear as those memories immerged. _But she left me with scars . . . that'll never heal._

After a few minutes of pondering, I let out a sigh of sadness. "Riven . . . I'm so sorry but—" I gulped and said, "—I-I can't forgive you." Before she could react, I continued, "But . . . I'll not hate you f-for what you've done to me before."

I glanced sideways at Riven, trying to see her reaction. She still had her head down with her hands still covering her face so I couldn't see her expression. When I was about to ask if she was ok, I heard her reply in a small voice, "Thank you, J-Jeffric . . . I-I'm just happy that you don't have any hateful emotions toward me . . . even though I deserve it."

After a moment of pause, she looked up at me with awe in her eyes. "Jeffric . . . do you know that you don't look like a person who'd gone through hell . . . ?" She slowly reached out her hand and touched my cheek which made me flinch, remembering the pain that the very hand had delivered on my body. As if to reassure me, she started to gently stroke my cheek. "Moreover, I think I'd never seen you frowning before."

I fiddled with my own fingers, feeling slightly uncomfortable. "Th-There was no reason for me to frown . . ."

She examined my face as if she was trying to find something while I just sat there uncomfortably, remembering how the hand that was touching my cheek used to hit me. Finally, she dropped her hand from my cheek and let out a hollow laugh. "Do you know that people cut, grind, and polish gems to make them look beautiful?" She asked me. Then she bowed her head while a sad smile spread across her face. "I guess your beauty was created through your hardships . . . unlike me."

While just sitting there, an awkward silence descended onto us. Lamb and wolf just stared at both of us to see how it goes.

"Hey . . . how are you living these days?" Riven finally asked cautiously as if trying to start up a conversation.

"Uhhh . . ." I didn't know how to answer for a moment. Then, after constructing words in my mind, I answered, "I-I'm living happily with someone . . . she let me live in her apartment."

"Wait, not with your parents?" Riven asked in a surprised voice.

"I ran from home a few months ago . . ."

"So . . . how's she?"

"Oh, she's really nice!" I said enthusiastically. "S-She is kind, beautiful, and always makes me feel happy!"

For a few minutes, I told her everything about Ahri except the fact that she was Ahri, the famous Kpop artist. She listened while asking a few questions like how delicious her meals were and etc.

"—and she even bought me new clothes . . . including boxer shorts after the day we met!" I finally finished and found myself out of breath. While saying all those things, I felt warm and fuzzy inside for some reason as if one of Ahri's tails was wrapped around me. But that feeling was dashed when Riven asked me a question.

"So . . . when are you going to ask her out?"

Lamb cocked her head to the side while the wolf just froze in mid-air.

I froze while my eyes opened wide in shock when I heard her say that. Then I felt my face getting warm. "Wh-Wh-What?!"

Riven just looked at me with a slightly confused expression on her face, her eyes still looking hollow with shame. "You sounded like you have a crush on her."

"You did sound like that," lamb agreed, making wolf laugh slightly.

"Well . . . I . . . uh . . ." I stuttered while my face got warmer as I clutched my chest with both of my hands. Yes, I did have a crush on her which had been building up as time passed. And yes, I really wanted to confess my feelings to her. But I felt dread spreading in my body when I remembered something important. "I . . . I do. But . . . I can't have a romantic relationship with her. I can never have . . . a romantic relationship."

"Why?"

I sighed while staring at the wall on the other side of us. "Because . . . something bad might happen to her if we become couples . . . just like what'd happened to my first and last girlfriend . . ." I paused for a moment. "You know, whenever I'd a crush on a girl, something held me back from confessing . . . I think it's because of that . . . incident."

Riven looked at me with a confused expression on her face. "Didn't others back in high school tease you for not having even one girlfriend in your life?"

"I tried to tell them about my first girlfriend . . . but they just told me that romance that happened in elementary doesn't count . . . and half of me started to think that way too, so whenever someone asked me if I'd a girlfriend in my life, I just answered . . . no."

"What happened to her?"

I looked sadly up at the sky. "She . . . she was killed by getting hit by a car . . . just after we became a couple."

"Oh . . . I'm so sorry, Jeffric."

"It's ok . . ." I said while trying my hardest to sound casual but failed. "It happened a long time ago."

"O-Oh, by the way," I hastily added, trying to change the subject, "starting today, I'm g-going to do a part-time job at a convenience store to pay my rent to the person who is letting me live in her apartment!"

"Convenience store? Where?" As if she felt that I wanted to change the subject, she went with the flow.

When I told her the location, her eyes grew wide with surprise. "Wait, I have a part-time job there too! I work from 6 PM to 12 AM there."

"Wait, really? Then we'll meet whenever my work is done," I said with slight enthusiasm. "So, how long did you work there?"

"About a few months."

"Can I ask you why you started taking a part-time job?"

When I asked that, I saw her face darkening as if she was remembering a bad memory. Then she just smiled slightly and answered, "Some . . . money issues."

* * *

After that conversation, we went back to the art academy and I found out that it was much easier to draw now. Wolf and lamb disappeared so there was no one to talk to. When it was 12 PM, I said goodbye to the owner, got out of the building, ate a small pack of trail mix that I'd taken from a box full of them in a storage cabinet in Ahri's apartment—which I'd received permission from Ahri to eat—and quickly went to the convenience store where I'd received my parttime job. Believe it or not, the owner of the store was the chicken delivery man who'd delivered the chicken to Ahri's apartment when I met the rest of the K/DA members for the first time in my life. The guy still had bushy-looking high ponytail hair, unshaved mouth, and a pair of sleepy-looking eyes while still having a sheathed katana-like sword on his waist. I wasn't sure if it was a katana because swords of ancient Asia looked similar. When I'd asked him why he worked as a chicken delivery man when he owned a convenience store, he just shrugged while answering simply, "Life."

Today, when I'd come into this store, he'd taught me how to check the price and such. Because it was my first day, he'd decided to watch me do my work to watch out for any mistakes. Now, I was standing behind the counter while smiling with pride. _Thank everything that the owner doesn't mind his coworkers getting a few minutes late._

The reason why I'd gotten myself a part-time job was to repay Ahri for her kindness. I was an adult and adults have to have responsibility. It'd be irresponsible for me to live under Ahri's roof without providing her with anything.

 _Yes, I can do it!_ I thought enthusiastically. _I won't be a burden to her._

That was when two girls entered the store.

"Hello!" I greeted them while a welcoming smile spread across my face.

* * *

Ahri was standing behind a tree trunk right outside the convenience store. She was wearing a long trench coat to cover up her nine tails, a pair of dark sunglasses to cover up her pair of golden eyes, and a dark knit cap to cover up her pair of fox ears. She was staring directly at the glass window which showed the side of Jeffric who was standing behind the counter with a smile on his face, a warm feeling embracing her heart as if someone had wrapped it with a fluffy blanket. Some people looked at her strangely as they passed by, but most people didn't give attention to her.

She'd waited for him outside the building where the art academy was while hiding inside the alleyway next to the building and had followed him to find out the reason why he was coming back at 6 PM and to see what he meant by 'adult business'.

She found out that his 'adult business' was a part-time job at a convenience store.

 _But . . . why is he working in a convenience store . . . ?_ she asked herself inside her mind while looking at him in confusion. Then, she pulled out her smartphone and called Evelynn.

After three rings, Evelynn picked up. "Yes, my dear Foxy?" She'd her usual seductive and chilly voice with some friendliness behind it.

"Hey Eve," Ahri whispered into her smartphone as if she was a spy reporting to her boss, "I-I found out what his 'adult business' actually is."

"Really?" Evelynn sounded quite curious on the other side of the phone. "Is he going to karaoke rooms?"

"No."

"Is he visiting a night club?"

"He isn't that kind of a person, you know."

"Is he getting paid by some lady to have a lovely date with her?"

"What?! No!" The thought of her adorable Jeffric getting paid to date with a strange woman was horrifying to Ahri, almost making her feel nauseated. "It's just a part-time job at a convenience store."

"Oh. That's not exciting," Evelynn said and Ahri thought that she heard disappointment inside her slightly-seductively drawling and cold voice.

"But Eve . . . I'm worried about him," Ahri said in a half worried and half confused voice after a pause. "I still don't know why he started working in a convenience store. I-I mean I always provide him with food, shelter, and other things so he should be enjoying his life, not working at a part-time job."

Ahri started nibbling on the nail of her thumb while making a worried and thoughtful expression on her face. She looked distressed like a person who is trying to solve something but couldn't. "Does he wants to buy something . . . ?" she whispered to herself in a concerned voice, her eyes flickering from Jeffric to her thumb and back again. "Then he could've just asked me . . . Or maybe he has a dept to someone? If so, then I could pay for it . . . M-Maybe he's gathering money to buy for expensive medicine . . . ? But he looks healthy to me—"

"Who knows," Evelynn interrupted from the other side of the phone, snapping Ahri out of her worried thoughts. Then she laughed humorously as if she'd thought of a funny joke. "To be honest, I was expecting his 'adult business' to be something more . . . 'naughty', if you know what I mean."

"Eve," Ahri answered after sighing with exasperation, "Jeffric isn't a person who'd do 'naughty' things and you know it."

"You're right, Ahri. You should do it to him."

Ahri didn't understand for a moment and said nothing while her mind processed what Evelynn had just said. Then, when her mind finally understood what she meant, her face instantly flushed red. "W-W-Wait, what?!"

"You heard me." Ahri definitely heard amusement in Evelynn's voice.

"B-But we're not even a couple!" Ahri spluttered while blushing more and more.

"Then ask him out on a date. You are clearly in love with him."

"N-No I'm not!" Ahri pressed a palm onto her cheek, feeling her cheek burning. "Please stop teasing me, Evelynn!"

She heard Evelynn sighing exasperatedly as if she was fed up with something. "Ahri, dear, I've seen how you're acting around and looking at him. I even noticed you calling Jeffric 'darling'. Moreover, it can be proved by your protective nature over him. Face it, Ahri. You're in love with him."

Ahri opened her mouth, trying to say something that would be a good retort, but nothing came out.

"Anyways, I've to go now. Akali and Kai'Sa are fighting over the remote." Then, Evelynn hung up.

Ahri just stood there, still having her smartphone pressed onto the side of her head while doing nothing. Her face was still warm while heart fluttered wildly. After a moment of just standing there, she quickly put her smartphone into her trench coat's pocket and then stared at the window. She saw Jeffric who was in the middle of yawning.

Ahri felt her face flushing even more than before if it was possible and clutched her chest with both of her hands, feeling her heart beating faster.

 _Am I in love with . . . Jeffric?_ She wondered while she kept on observing Jeffric through the window of the convenience store.

* * *

I came back to Ahri's apartment, feeling proud, tired, and stiff from working in the convenience store.

"Ahri, I'm home!" I announced in a happy yet tiered voice while closing the door behind me.

"Welcome back, Jeffric," Ahri answered from the sofa. For some reason, she sounded deep in thought and muffled.

I quickly went to the bathroom, washed my hands, and went to my room. After putting my things, including my jacket, in my room, I went to the living room where Ahri was lying on the sofa in a straight position, her face pressed onto its surface while her nine foxtails swayed here and there over her like a bunch of snakes. I almost laughed because the whole scene was comical.

"Ahri, what're you doing?" I asked while stifling a laugh. "You look funny!"

"I'm just . . . thinking about something, darling."

I laughed and touched one of the soft-looking foxtails with my finger. Instantly, it lightly hit me on the side.

"One more touch and I'll set the rest of my tails on you, Jeffric," Ahri said in a playful voice while moving all her nine tails in a threatening manner. From her voice, I knew that she wanted me to do it more, so I continued touching them and soon I found myself being bombarded by her tails.

"I-I surrender! I surrender!" I cried out in exaggerated fear and raised both of my hands into the air while still being lightly hit by her nine tails.

When Ahri stopped, she rolled on the sofa, properly sat on it, and gave me a smile that spoke of humor.

"You know, Eve once told me that my tails are my best weapons," she said while caressing one of them with both of her hands.

"W-Well . . . she's not wrong there." I clasped my hands while looking at her shyly.

When I saw her face, I couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. Even without her makeup, she still looked beautiful with her mischievous golden eyes, cute nose, perfect cheeks, and her adorable lips. Her clothes: a pair of soft and comfy-looking sky blue pajama pants and a white shirt; the whisker-like lines on her cheeks; and the heart-shaped earring on her left fox ear enhanced her beauty even more. The way she caressed her foxtail sent a shiver down my spine and when she'd smiled, it seemed as if the whole world glowed even brighter with her joy.

While blushing, I bowed my head.

 _You're so beautiful, Ahri . . ._

"Jeffric . . . you look tired."

"Wh-What?" I quickly looked up and found myself transfixed to her golden eyes of warmth. Then, processing what she'd said, I quickly answered, "I-I'm not that tired. You don't have to worry about it, Ahri."

She stared at me with a worried expression on her face, making her look so adorable. "At least let me give you a massage to relieve you of some stress," she said while patting the space on the sofa next to her.

"A-A massage . . . ?" I'd never received a massage before, let alone from a celebrity. "O-Ok then . . ."

I carefully sat on the space next to her with my back facing her. My back and shoulders felt stiff from mostly standing behind the counter for 6 hours, but I was sure that my body would get used to it.

 _I can't wait to see Ahri's face when I pay my rent_ , I thought happily while trying not to get nervous about Ahri giving me a back massage.

* * *

When Ahri saw Jeffric, she instantly saw that he was feeling tired by working in the convenience store. She gently placed both of her hands on Jeffric's shoulders while the familiar warmth embraced her heart once more. Somehow, Jeffric's back looked adorable and fragile. Maybe it'd something to do with his narrow shoulders? Or perhaps it'd something to do with his height which was shorter than hers?

She squeezed both of his shoulders as hard as she could and released them. Then she did it over and over, making Jeffric yelp while arching his back slightly.

"How does it feel?" She asked.

"G-Good— _Ouch_!" he answered and yelped once again when she gave another squeeze.

After that, while still having her hands on his shoulders, she squeezed both of her thumbs on the muscle between his scapulas, making Jeffric moan with pleasure. When she heard that, she flinched slightly and felt her face warming up. Gulping nervously, she turned both of her thumbs in small circles, moving the muscle with them while Jeffric moaned even louder.

 _Even his moans are adorable . . ._ she thought as she started to breathe slightly more heavily than before.

A few minutes later, she let go, and Jeffric slumped forward while pressing both of his hands on the sofa.

"Th-Thank you, Ahri," Jeffric said while looking back at her with a grateful smile on his face. "Your massage felt so good!"

She smiled back at him while still blushing and breathing heavily. "You're welcome. Just ask me whenever you need one."

He nodded vigorously as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "I will." Then he looked at her in concern. "Ahri . . . are you alright? You're breathing heavily . . . and your face is kinda red."

"O-Oh it's nothing!" she said while waving her hands nervously in front of her. "I-I just heated up while massaging you! Y-Yeah, n-nothing too serious!"

When he went to his room while humming happily, Ahri looked down at her hands. Then, she rubbed both of them on her cheeks and closed her eyes, almost feeling his warmth on her them.

She couldn't deny it anymore.

 _I'm in love with him . . ._ she thought as a tender smile spread across her lips while her golden eyes wavered because of the overwhelming feeling of warm love that she felt in her heart like a newly-lit fireplace. _I'm in love with Jeffric . . ._

* * *

 **(A/N)**

 ** _*The author drags himself out from a swamp*_**

 **Sorry for being late! The writer's block almost killed me, making me rewrite like four times to get this right.** If you feel that there's something wrong with the flow with this chapter, this might be the reason for it :(

 **By the way, I noticed that the more I wrote, this chapter grew longer and longer so I'd to cut out the second half and relocate it to the Special Episode 13. But the Special Episode 13 will be uploaded faster than expected, and it contains something that I think many of you guys have been waiting for a long time ;) (no, it's not lemon . . . but you might say it's kind of close to that)**

 **You might be wondering why I'd put Riven in the Special Episodes, so I'll tell you for now that I'd put her to be an 'opposite' of two characters including Jeffric. I think you might be already guessing who the second character is . . .**

 **Anyways, thank you for reading my fanfic! Favoriting and commenting will be really helpful! :)**


	46. Special EP:13 (Not 17 or more?)

A man with long slicked back hair that was dyed into blond, a pair of cruel and narrow black eyes, and slightly hollow cheeks was sitting in the seat of his sports car, which was parked in front of his club. He was staring into the screen of his smartphone while licking his lips.

On the screen, a picture of Ahri and the rest of the K/DA members in the middle of their concert was displayed on it. The photo was focused on only Ahri, so the rest were slightly blurry. She had a beautiful smile on her face while standing in a way that made him grin ear to ear in a sickly manner.

"I wonder what she's doing these days . . ." He muttered. Then, he turned off his smartphone and got out of his car while laughing silently. "I'll find out soon enough." 

* * *

"So Ahri . . . Can you explain to us how you learned the phrase 'ara ara'?" Akali asked while studying Ahri's face carefully.

It was morning, the day after the night when Ahri had given Jeffric a massage. All the K/DA crew were in Ahri's room, all sitting or lying on her enormous bed. Ahri was sitting in front of her pillow, her blanket covering the lower half of her body; Evelynn was sitting on the side of the bed, her crossed legs dangling on the edge; and Kai'Sa was sitting cross-legged in front of Akali who was lying on her side—one hand on her hip the other supporting her cheek.

Evelynn laughed. "Ahri, I searched for that term on the internet yesterday to find its meaning because I don't watch anime like Akali . . . all I'm going to say is I'm disappointed in you."

Ahri knew well enough from her voice that she wasn't disappointed; she was just trying to tease her.

"I-I ran across that term a few weeks ago on social media . . ." She said while puffing out her cheeks in defiance. "Somebody posted that he was going to go to the movie theater with his big sister, and another person posted a picture of an anime woman saying 'ara ara' on the comment section. So, I was curious and searched its meaning on the internet like Evelynn did. I guess that term came out unconsciously yesterday morning while we were looking at Jeffric sleeping."

"Well, that explains everything." Akali nodded while scratching her hip. "So, are you going to ask him out or what?"

Ahri's jaw dropped open in shock. "H-How did you know that I've got a crush on him?!"

"Evelynn told us yesterday night," Kai'Sa said while pointing at Evelynn with her thumb. "After Akali and I stopped fighting over the remote control."

"And it was kinda obvious that you've got some lovey-dovey feelings toward that little guy," Akali added. Then she made some exaggerated kissing noises with her lips by puckering it while winking at her.

Ahri buried her face in her blanket to not show her burning face.

"Was I that obvious . . . ?" Her muffled voice asked timidly.

"Yes, Foxy. It was very obvious," Evelynn answered while studying her manicured fingernails.

"So obvious that even elementary kids would've realized it," Kai'Sa added cheerfully while beaming at her.

"It was obvious like those romantic dramas," Akali said and yawned.

Ahri let out a moan of horror and covered her head with her nine foxtails.

"I'm so embarrassed . . ."

While Ahri was despairing, the rest laughed at her, making her feel more embarrassed than she already was.

"So, are you going to ask him out?" Akali asked again after their laughter died away.

Ahri moved her tails away from her head while raising it to face the others, her golden eyes moving around nervously. "O-Of course . . . but I don't know how, though . . ."

"Well, it's easy, Ahri." Evelynn turned her body toward Ahri and gave her a sly smile. "You just . . . need to make the romantic atmosphere . . . perhaps, luring him into your bedroom and slowly stripping away his clothes—"

"No!" Ahri let out a cry as both of her fox ears straightened up like the ears of the startled cat. "I-I-I'm not going as far as that!"

"But you want to. I mean, you're blushing as if you're having some lewd thoughts."

"S-Shut your mouth!"

Akali rolled her eyes. "Evelynn, let's get serious here and come up with a _decent_ plan that is _romantic_ and not _erotic_ , will you?"

Evelynn let out an exaggerated sigh of disappointment. "Oh, well . . . at least I tried." 

* * *

For a week I worked in the convenience store, standing behind the counter and operating the cash register. And, whenever it was 6 PM, Riven came in and we swapped places while greeting each other or chatting slightly. At first, it was awkward because of past experiences. But after four days, I got used to it.

Everything in life flowed as usual except for one thing. These days, I noticed that Ahri always glanced at my direction while we ate breakfast or dinner together. Whenever I looked up, she'd glance at the other direction and whenever I asked her what was wrong, she just answered that it was nothing. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary with her except that her cheeks were always blushing slightly.

Today was no different, and Akali, Evelynn, and Kai'Sa had visited Ahri's apartment to eat breakfast together, wearing their casual clothes—Evelynn wearing a pair of round purple sunglasses indoors. While eating together, I noticed Ahri glancing at me and Evelynn staring at her with a knowing smile. I didn't know what was going on, but I decided that it was nothing.

After eating breakfast, I took a trail mix and my backpack and then went to the academy. There, I drew the face of Ahri while feeling the eyes of five young women on me. Riven observed me drawing from behind me, and even though our relationship was improving I still felt slight fear by her presence. Then, when it was 12 PM, I got out of the art academy while eating the trail mix and went to the convenience store. When I got there, the owner was waiting for me with his bored and sleepy expression on his face. He was wearing a pair of baggy pants and a worn-out gray jacket. His face was unshaved as usual and he still had his bushy-looking high ponytail.

"Oh, hi Jeffric," he greeted me in his usual hollow voice. He then handed me the uniform vest and clapped me on the back. "Have a nice day. And thanks for boosting the customer's numbers."

Then, he left the convenience store.

I was wearing a white jacket, a green T-shirt underneath it, a pair of dark jeans, and a pair of sneakers. I went behind the counter, pulled off the jacket, folded it carefully because Ahri was the one who'd bought it, placed it on the ground beside a chair that was located behind the counter, put on the uniform vest, and then just stood behind the counter.

For hours I stood there and checked the price of the things that the customers brought up to the counter or sometimes sat on the chair when no one entered. For some reason, there seemed to be more customers compared to the first day of work. And, they were mostly girls or young women.

Five hours into my work, while I was checking the price of a cup ramyun that a girl who was wearing a school uniform had brought up to the counter, the girl suddenly extended her smartphone to me.

"M-May I have your phone number?!" She asked while staring at me tentatively with her cheeks blushing.

I smiled apologetically at her. "Sorry . . . I don't have a phone."

"Oh . . ."

When she stuffed the cup ramyun in her backpack, she bolted out of the convenience store while covering her face with both of her hands in embarrassment.

This kind of thing happened a lot too for some reason. One time, a guy even asked me if I was a girl in English. So, I just answered 'no' in _Korean_ (every dialogue in the Special Episodes was spoken in Korean, but I translated them so that you could understand while reading). I guess he'd thought that I was a foreigner because of my facial features and my eye color.

I sat down on the chair while yawning. I didn't know why they acted like that, but I was sure that it was nothing important.

I was wondering about Ahri when suddenly, the convenience store's door opened. I quickly stood up while greeting the person who was a middle-aged man. He was walking weirdly and his face was crimson. He took a few steps, stumbled, and then stopped. I was staring at him curiously when he noticed me and stumbled up to me. When he got closer, I could smell alcohol from him.

 _He's drunk!_ I thought.

He put both of his hands on the counter while swaying forward and backward like a grass swaying in the wind, saying something incoherent at me while fixing me with his pair of half-opened eyes.

"Sir, wh-what did you say?" I asked him while feeling nervousness creeping into me. _I've a bad feeling about this . . ._

The middle-aged man said something again which came out as sluggish words.

"Uhh . . . can you say that again sir?"

Suddenly, he grabbed me by my collar and started shaking me violently while yelling out more incoherent words. It was so sudden that I was caught off guard. I tried to pull away from him, but the man was too strong for me.

"L-Let me go!" I yelled out in fear and desperation as I grabbed him by his arms to yank myself out of his grasp. "H-Help!"

"Let go of him!" A familiar voice yelled from somewhere.

The man stopped and looked back at the entrance, his head swaying here and there. I, too, looked toward the entrance of the convenience store to see—

 _Ah-Ahri?!_

* * *

Ahri had run into the convenience store when she saw Jeffric being shaken up by the drunk man. She had been watching over Jeffric—but Evelynn had called her action 'spying'—for days since he's started his part-time job, hiding behind the same tree and getting back to her apartment an hour before his part-time job ended. She was about to go back to her apartment when she'd seen it happen.

Now, she was standing in the entrance, two sets of eyes settling on her.

She quickly pulled out her smartphone, dialed three numbers, and then showed the screen to the drunken man. "If you don't get out of here, I'll call the police!"

When the drunken man saw the numbers on her phone, his eyes grew wide in fear and half-stumbled and half-ran toward the entrance, panic filling his eyes. Ahri quickly sidestepped so that the man could barrel out of the convenience store and without pushing her. When the door shut behind him, she saw the man tripping over a can on the ground and crashing onto the ground from beyond the glass door. When the man had run out of sight, she looked back at Jeffric and smiled reassuringly.

"Hi, Jeffric . . . Are you alright?"

Jeffric just stared at her with those adorable green eyes, confusion visible on his face. "Wh-What are you doing here?" He finally asked.

"Just . . . dropping by," she answered. "Oh, by the way, your shift ends at 6 PM, right? Then I'll come back here to walk home with you. Well, see you in an hour!"

Ahri had spoken the last few sentences really quickly and then she ran out of the convenience store while feeling herself blushing.

 _It will be today_ , she thought energetically. _It will be today . . ._

* * *

When I changed shifts with Riven and gave her the uniform vest, I walked out of the convenience store to find Ahri waiting for me. Ahri was wearing a long trench coat that covered up her nine tails, a pair of dark sunglasses that covered her pair of golden eyes, and a dark knit cap that covered up her pair of fox ears.

"Let's go home, Jeffric," Ahri said while giving me her smile. "The others are preparing to watch a movie together."

"Th-That sounds fun . . ." I smiled back at her, feeling slightly uncomfortable. _Did she knew all along that I've taken a part-time job at the convenience store . . . ?_

We started walking through the streets of Seoul, passing by other people who thankfully didn't recognize Ahri. The late afternoon sun's amber light reflected on the glasses of the buildings, making the world look beautiful while I heard happy laughter of couples around me. To them, we might've looked like a couple too.

 _I wish it were true . . ._ I thought sadly. _But . . . I can't let anything bad happen to her._ I clenched my fists and shut my eyes tightly, feeling suddenly lonely. _I just can't . . ._

Before I could even open my eyes again, I lost my sense of direction and accidentally bumped into Ahri's side. I yelped and quickly staggered sideways, blushing in embarrassment while avoiding her eyes. "I-I'm sorry . . . I must've lost my balance."

"It's ok, darling." When I was about to continue walking, I felt something intertwining around my arm. Looking down, I saw . . . an arm interlacing around mine. I blinked several times, not believing what I saw seeing.

It was Ahri's arm.

 _She linked her arm with mine!_

"Umm . . . Uhh . . ."

While I was fumbling for words, Ahri cocked her head sideways while watching me with a tender smile on her face. "Is something the matter?"

My cheeks had gotten hot and I thought steam was about to whistle out from my ears due to this warmth spreading inside me. "Y-Your arm . . . It's linked with mine . . ." I finally spoke in a small voice. "P-Please let me go Ahri . . ."

"I think I've to refuse your request," Ahri answered playfully and leaned closer to me. "I like it this way."

"Oh . . . o-ok." My heart was going wild in a frenzy while I felt my lips trembling. My heart didn't even settle down even when we'd finally reached her apartment. After taking the elevator, we entered her apartment and found Evelynn, Akali, and Kai'Sa all sitting on the sofa in front of the TV. The coffee table in front of them was filled with snacks of all kinds and some soft drinks. Akali was already eating some potato chips while Kai'Sa was drinking a soda. Evelynn was just standing in the middle, holding the remote control.

When we entered they all greeted us; Akali waving her bag of potato chips in the air as if she was trying to catch something that was falling from the ceiling with it, Kai'Sa waving both of her hands at us while smiling cutely, and Evelynn glancing at us while giving her usual terrifying, seductive, and cold smile.

"Hey, we bought the movie that Akali has asked for on your TV," Evelynn said while gesturing at it.

"Got it," Ahri answered and we both took off our jackets, dropped them on the ground, and headed to the bathroom. After we washed our hands, we went to the living room sofa.

Akali and Kai'Sa slid down from the sofa and then sat down on the ground in front of the coffee table while Evelynn moved sideways on the sofa. So, when Ahri and I walked up to it, there was space for both of us. Soon, I found myself sitting between her and Evelynn, feeling a slight Déjà Vu for some reason.

"So, what's the title of the movie . . . ?" I asked while glancing sideways at Evelynn, feeling slightly terrified of the intimidating diva.

She gestured at Akali and said, "She'll tell you."

Akali looked back at me with a slightly excited face. "It's an anime movie titled 'Your Name', and it's me and Bokkie's favorite," she explained. Then, she winked at Evelynn for some reason. I glanced at Evelynn and saw her winking at Ahri's direction. I glanced at Ahri and saw her acting as if she didn't see anything while whistling.

Blinking in confusion, I scratched my head.

 _What's going on here . . . ?_

* * *

Akali had turned off the lights while Kai'Sa closed the window curtains of the living room. And soon, we were watching the movie. I'd heard about this movie's beautiful visuals before in my life, but sadly I'd never watched it until today. When I was living with my parents, there were times when both of them and my younger brother weren't at home. Whenever that happened, I used to watch one or two episodes of animes that I'd heard being talked about amongst the weebs in my class on the family computer in my parents' room. Back then, watching an anime movie was a huge risk because I might accidentally get too engrossed into it and then caught when my parents and my brother returned home. I could've watched 40 minutes a day, but I didn't like stories being paused while it was being told.

Now, I watched animes whenever I'd time on my laptop that Ahri had given me for Christmas. But the thought of watching anime movies on it never crossed my mind until now.

 _Is my mind still not used to living here . . . ?_ I asked myself while nervously glancing around Ahri's apartment.

When the movie began, I stared at the TV screen while eating a chocolate bar. Soon, I found myself being engrossed into it; into its otherworldly visuals and its intriguing story. It was a story about a boy and a girl whose souls get swapped several times, living in the other's life while they left memos of advice and insults to each other to make them look natural while living in the other's body. When it suddenly stops, the boy searches for her and finds out that she and the village that she lived in got destroyed by a piece of a comet three years ago. With some kind of magic in a shrine on a mountain, he was back in the girl's body three years ago on the day when the piece of the comet impacts the village and makes a plan with her friends to get people evacuated. When he realized that the girl must be in his body at the shrine, he goes back to find her while letting the friends execute the plan and meets her at a specific time and their souls changes once again. While they were about to write their names on each other's hands, the specific time passes and then the boy was back in his time while the girl remains in her time. She goes to the village, convinces her father who is the town mayor and evacuates the town. They both forget about their souls changing until they become adults. They see each other when their trains draw parallel. They disembark and meet each other on a staircase and simultaneously ask for the other's name.

It was romantic, funny, sad, and happy. The movie somehow made me feel as if I was there, and made me care for the characters a lot while making me yearn for both of them to meet each other. Plus, the songs highlighted everything like decorations on a cake.

When the movie ended, Akali cheered while starting clapping joyfully.

"So, how was the movie?" She asked while turning to face me.

"It was so beautiful . . ." I whispered while still staring at the screen, still feeling exhilarated. "The story is beautiful too . . ."

My heart was pounding, a feeling of romance pulsing through my body as if the romantic atmosphere of the movie was somehow still affecting my soul.

We all talked about the movie and then chatted about other things while eating the rest of the snacks for a moment. When we were done, it was already 10 PM and I felt really tired. So, I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth and Ahri did the same. When we both finished and got out, she spoke to me.

"Hey, Jeffric . . . After you change clothes, I want to talk with you in private."

I looked at her, feeling slightly tense. I knew instantly that she wanted to ask me about the parttime job thing.

"O-Ok."

I went to my room and quickly changed into my comfortable pants and T-shirt. When I came out, I found Ahri who had changed into a pair of fluffy blue pants and a sleeveless white T-shirt in the process of putting on her jacket.

"W-Wait, you want to talk with me outside?"

She nodded and smiled. "I want to show you something too while we're at it."

So, I put on my jacket and went out with Ahri. While her apartment door was shutting, I thought I'd heard Akali and Kai'Sa whispering excitedly to each other as if they were watching a romance drama.

Before I could think straight, Ahri had clasped my hand gently and was leading me to the elevator.

"Where are we going?" I asked tentatively while feeling nervous.

Ahri placed her finger in front of her lips and winked at me. "It's a secret."

When we entered the elevator, I thought she'd press the button for the first floor, but instead, she pressed the button of the rooftop. I looked at her curiously but didn't say anything. When the elevator reached the destination, the doors slid open, revealing—

"Wow!" I exclaimed when I saw where we were.

We walked out of the elevator and I found myself standing in a beautiful rooftop park which was lit with lamps placed next to the paths, making the place feel warm and comforting. The park had various pretty-looking flowers and trees like pine trees planted on the grass-covered ground that were separated by the paths with the clear night sky above and the cool wind touching my skin. Through the fences placed on the edges of the rooftop, I saw the night view of the other buildings of the city all covered with colorful lights.

The movie that we'd watched somehow elevated the beauty of the scenery even more. Maybe it'd something to do with those city scenes.

In the middle of the park was a waterless fountain and four tall square concrete constructs surrounded it, a lamp placed on the top of each of them. Ahri lead me slowly to the fountain by walking on the path while gesturing around us.

"So, what do you think?" she asked with a proud grin on her face.

"This park looks beautiful!" I exclaimed while looking around in awe. "This place really stands out in the middle of the city's scenery."

We stopped in front of the waterless fountain and Ahri sat on the edge of it, crossing her legs patting the place next to her, telling me to sit. I obliged and tentatively sat down next to her, not knowing what to do. We just sat there for a moment, both of us just admiring the scenery.

"Ahri . . . may I ask why you want to talk with me in private?" I finally asked while nervously glancing sideways at her.

Ahri placed a hand on mine, which made me flinch and my heart almost stop beating.

"I just want to ask you why you started taking a part-time job, darling," she answered in a quiet voice which made me turn my head to look up at her in a slight surprise because I thought that I heard a genuine concern in her voice.

She, too, turned her head to look down at me and we both found ourselves being face-to-face and I could see a worried expression on her face and her pair of fox ears that sagged forward slightly as if downcasted. Her pair of golden eyes filled with her worry was reflecting the lights of the lamps around us, and by doing so emphasized the beauty that I found myself staring into them.

"Jeffric . . ." Ahri held my hand with both of hers, and her beautiful eyes seemed as if they were staring into my soul—in a good way. "There is no need for you to exhaust yourself by doing hours of hard work, a-and you might get hurt by people like that drunk man back in the convenience store." She paused for a moment while squeezing my hand in her soft and warm ones. "If you need money, then I can give it to you. If you just ask . . . I will give you anything you want."

The finger of my free hand twitched as I broke contact with her eyes, feeling slightly awkward for what I was about to say.

"I-I'm not working to earn money because I need them . . ." I said quietly. Then, mustering all of my courage, I looked at Ahri who now had a confused expression on her face. "I-I'm working to pay my rent . . . to you."

Ahri's pair of golden eyes grew wide and her fox ears perked up in shock when she heard what I'd said.

"Y-Your rent?!" Ahri sounded really horrified as if the thought of me paying her rent was jarring to her. "Jeffric, you don't need to do that!"

"But I don't want to be a burden to you!" I blurted out while placing my free hand on one of her hands that was still holding mine. "I'm an adult, Ahri . . . I-I can't just live in your apartment without providing you with nothing."

Ahri was quiet for a moment with our eyes connected with one and another. Then, her lips formed a warm smile. "Jeffric, you _are_ already providing me with something."

I blinked in confusion. "I-I'm already providing you something?" I asked her in a confused voice. "What is it?"

She looked down at our hands that were holding each other and I saw her blushing. When I'd noticed her blushing, I also noticed that we were holding each other's hands, and I felt my face warming up.

 _Should I let go? It's the polite thing to do . . ._ I thought nervously. _But . . . her hands are so soft and warm . . ._

While I was thinking about that, Ahri had raised her head, and our eyes met once more. A smile was on her face, and I felt her hands squeezing mine gently.

"It's you, Jeffric." Her soft voice drifted into my ears like a melody. "You're already providing me with your presence."

My jaw dropped open in surprise because of the unexpected answer from her. "M-Me?!"

"Yes, Jeffric. Therefore, you don't have to work to pay for your rent . . . because you living in my apartment is enough for me."

I stared back at her with wide-open eyes, being lost for words. Then I bowed my head in defeat and embarrassment and blushed even more than just before. "Th-Thank you, Ahri . . . I'll quit my part-time job tomorrow."

"That's my darling."

She let go of my hands, and I stood up from the edge of the fountain. "L-Let's go back to your apartment . . ." I weakly gestured at the direction fo the elevator. "The others might be waiting for us . . ."

I was about to head to the elevator, but a soft hand on my shoulder stopped me from leaving.

"Just a moment, Jeffric."

Before I knew what was happening, something pushed me to one of the tall square concrete constructs, making my back bump into it.

"Wha—?"

Then, both of my wrists were pinned onto the construct behind me, forcing my back to press onto its surface while making me look as if I was raising my hands in surrender, and my eyes were staring up into a pair of familiar and beautiful golden eyes that reflected the lamp lights.

Ahri was the one who'd pushed me to the concrete construct, and now she was standing in front of me with her hands pinning my wrists onto the cold surface of the construct. She was leaning forward, her face and mine almost at the same level, and they were so close that I felt her warm and heavy breath on my face. Her beautiful face had a cute and sheepish expression while her long blond hair gleamed in the lamp lights, looking as if she'd the hair of an angel. My heart was beating so quickly and loudly that my ears literally could hear them beating away in my chest.

"Ah-Ahri?!" I gasped in shock as blood rushed up to my face, my eyes trembling in their sockets. "Wh-What are you d-doing? L-Let me go!" I started struggling, trying to get out from her grip, but I was too weaker than her. Soon, I found myself stopping and panting heavily with exhaustion, feeling helpless in her grasp.

I couldn't believe that this was happening.

 _This must be a dream . . . This has to be a dream._ I thought while vulnerably staring up at her.

Ahri was blushing too, and I could see something in her eyes. At first, I thought it was hunger. But then I realized that it wasn't hunger; it was compassion, shyness, warmth, and . . . affection. They made her already-beautiful face even more beautiful; looking like the face of pure love itself.

"Jeffric . . . there is one last thing I need to tell you before we go back . . . A confession." She spoke in a voice so tender and gentle that I thought that it was the voice of an angel. Her beautiful golden eyes were slightly teary, her cheeks blushing like mine, adorable lips forming a shy and angelic smile that lit up the world, and her long and silky blond hair fluttered slightly in the soft wind.

Everything about her made me think of an angel.

Maybe she was.

"I—" she hesitated and said something that I'd never forget for the rest of my life:

"I love you, Jeffric."

The whole world disappeared around me, only leaving me and Ahri standing on a void filled with nothing but darkness. I stared up at her, half in shock and another half in horror. Then, I heard the familiar sound of a car screeching to a stop followed by something crashing against something from somewhere to my left.

I slowly turned my head toward that direction and saw a crowd of people standing around something next to a car in the void. Through the crowd, I only saw a small hand lying on the road as blood soaked the ground around it. Suddenly, the crowd walked away, leaving behind a familiar corpse.

I never forgot how my first and last girlfriend looked like right after the car crash.

Her neck and back were bent to a wrong angle, her once lively but now empty big brown eyes staring blankly up at the sky as if she was in a daze.

Tears started to pour down my eyes as my body started shaking uncontrollably with a ravaging emotion of helpless despair.

 _N-No . . ._ Desperation clawed at my soul and I quickly looked at Ahri again. To my horror, I saw a giant clawed hand hovering behind her, prepared to tear her away and drag her into the void from me if I accept.

 _I need to stop her!_

"B-B-But you're about four years older than me!" I cried out pleadingly.

"I don't care," Ahri answered while her face slightly got closer, blocking the view of the hand. "Age doesn't matter to me."

Both of my feet dug into the ground as I pressed my back more onto the surface of the structure behind me. "Wh-Why me?! There are so many men out there who are more perfect than me! Men who have a lot of money, men with muscular builds, and men who are capable of making you happy for the rest of your life!" Now, tears were pouring out like a waterfall, blurring my vision, and I was sobbing bitterly. "L-L-Look at me! I'm just a nobody . . . I have nothing . . . Wh-Why do you love me Ahri . . . ? You d-deserve much better . . ."

"Jeffric . . ." Ahri gently pressed her forehead with mine and rubbed against it soothingly. "I don't need more money. I don't require a man with a muscular form . . . And you _have_ the power to make me feel happy for the rest of my life." Through my tears, I thought that I saw a tear trickle down her cheek. "You're not a 'nobody', Jeffric . . . you're my love."

My ears were now filled with repeated sounds of the car screeching to a stop and the sound of crashing.

"Ah-Ahri . . ." I whispered while I squeezed my eyes shut, still sobbing. "You sh-shouldn't love me . . . I don't want you to be killed . . . I don't want to harm anyone . . . p-please . . . I-I don't want anybody to die because of me . . . like she did . . ."

"What do you mean?"

Feeling as if my heart was breaking apart, I opened my mouth and said, "My first girlfriend . . . back in elementary . . . she was hit by a car driven by a drunk driver . . . and d-died right after she—" I choked but continued, "—she became my girlfriend." I opened my eyes and stared at Ahri pleadingly. "You'd be killed too . . . I-I don't want it to happen . . . please don't love me . . . please . . . I'm begging you . . ."

Half of myself expected her to let me go and walk away, thinking that I was an idiot for begging her not to love me.

 _It's better than her dying . . ._

But she didn't.

"Jeffric . . . please don't be hard on yourself." Then, she planted a soft kiss on my tear-wet cheek, making me stop sobbing by the unexpected action she'd taken. Sniffling, I blinked several times to get the tears out of my eyes to see clearly while staring up at her. When my vision became less blurry, I saw that she'd a comforting smile on her lips while her eyes were filled with understanding.

"I know that you might be blaming yourself for her unfortunate death. But you were only an elementary kid back then. There was nothing you could've done to prevent it and you weren't the reason for her death. The car crash wasn't your fault, Jeffric." Her hands squeezed my wrists reassuringly. "And I'm sure that she wouldn't blame you while being in the afterlife."

The void shattered around me, millions of dark shards falling and vanishing as if nothing was there in the first place, and the world came back to normal. The sound of a car screeching to a stop was gone from my ears. I just stared up at her, unable to say anything as I felt my heart getting lighter as if it'd been freed of a heavyweight that'd forced it to sink to the bottom.

Wolf and lamb had constantly told me that it wasn't my fault, but every time they did so I didn't believe them because half of me thought that they were saying things that I wanted to hear because they were creations of my imagination. But hearing it from a different person . . . I felt as if I was freed from a burden.

I saw her smiling when she saw that I understood.

"I love you with all my heart, Jeffric," Ahri whispered in a lovely way while leaning forward, our noses almost touching. "Do you . . ." She gulped nervously and continued, "Do you love me too?"

It was an obvious question.

"O-Of course I do," I answered in a trembling voice while feeling my eyes tearing up once more, but this time with my loving emotions to her as I felt a small smile spreading across my lips. "You're one of the few people who was kind to me in my life . . . Y-You let me stay in your apartment and provided me with things that even my parents didn't . . ." Tears started to flow down my cheeks once more as I felt my heart bursting with my love for her as if the inhibited emotions were set free. "You're my angel, Ahri . . . H-How can I not love you?"

Her lovely smile grew slightly wider. "Thank you, Jeffric."

Then, to my shock, she leaned forward and our lips pressed against each other in a kiss. My startled cry was muffled by her lips over mine, and soon the cry became a moan of pleasure while I closed my eyes in submit. Her soft lips felt so good against mine, and I felt as if countless bombs were going off in my heart as electricity ran through my body. I heard her moaning slightly as she pressed my wrists harder onto the wall as if she wanted me to be held at this moment as long as possible.

Then, she drew back, and we stared at each other lovingly while breathing heavily with exhilaration and passion.

"Th-That was my f-first kiss . . ." I whispered in disbelief while my cheeks got red.

Ahri blushed in a cute and lovely way as her golden eyes glinted with amusement and shyness. "So was I, little one."

"D-Don't call me—"

Before I could even finish my sentence, she let go of my wrists and then pulled me into an embrace as her nine fluffy foxtails pressed onto my back. Our lips locked into a kiss once more, her one hand holding the back of my head while the other grasped my back. I gently hugged her waist as our half-open eyes locked with each other. But this time, her kiss was much hungrier than the previous one—kissing more aggressively as if she wanted more, and I felt her embrace tightening as our kissing continued. Then, I felt something soft and slippery getting into my mouth.

My eyes grew wide in shock when I realized that it was her tongue. It dominated over mine while moving around in my mouth. Then, I felt both of her hands moving down my back and reaching my behind. They squeezed both of my butt cheeks, making me let out a muffled cry and struggle slightly, but Ahri just winked at me and continued. Soon, I stopped struggling and surrendered to her once more, closing my eyes as the moment of pleasure went on for what seemed like an eternity while whimpering.

Finally, our lips parted and we found ourselves gasping for air while staring into each other's slightly teary eyes.

"Ah-Ahri . . . Please stop squeezing my butt . . ." I pleaded through gasps.

"I-I . . . don't w-want to," she replied while smiling a playful smile and squeezed both of my butt cheeks once more.

I yelped slightly, which made her laugh, sounding so wonderful in my ears.

"L-Let's go back . . . to my apartment . . . shall we?" She said with a smile when she released me from her arms and hands.

I nodded while I hugged myself in embarrassment. "Y-Yes . . ." 

* * *

We took the elevator down to the floor where her apartment was while standing side by side, holding hands. When the elevator doors opened, we walked out while Ahri looked in the right direction while I looked at left, both of us blushing shyly because of our kissing affair.

When we reached the door to her apartment, she quickly typed in the lock codes and when the electric lock unlocked itself, she opened the door. I was about to stand behind to let Ahri enter first, but she pulled me toward her and before I knew what was going on, she had lifted me from the ground and was holding me in her arms as if she was a prince while I was the princess that she'd saved.

"Shall we enter, my lovely boyfriend?" She asked in an overly sweet voice while stifling her laughter.

"Wh-Wha—?!" I thought that my face was burning while my ears emitted steam.

Before I could say anything, she entered the apartment, the door shutting behind us. To my surprise, Akali, Evelynn, and Kai'Sa were waiting for us.

"Congratulations!" Akali cheered while clapping her hands wildly.

"A new couple has been made tonight!" Kai'Sa announced joyfully while throwing confetti into the air.

Evelynn just smiled her usual smile while standing there with her arms crossed. She nodded to Ahri as her usual smile turned slightly into a prouder one.

"I knew that you could do this, Foxy," she said.

I covered my face with both of my hands because I felt so embarrassed by the current situation. I was being held in Ahri's arms as if I was a newborn while the other three were staring at us. This had to be one of the most embarrassing moments of my life.

"Ah, look at him," I heard Akali cooing humorously. "He's feeling shy right now."

"How cute!" Kai'Sa exclaimed while holding down her laughter. "I wanna pinch his cheeks."

"D-Did you guys planned for this . . . all along?" I asked through my hands.

"Of course we did," I heard Evelynn answering. "That's why we watched that movie to make a romantic mood for you two."

"Oh . . ."

"Jeffric," Ahri whispered at me sweetly. "Can you please uncover your face now? I really want to see your adorable face again."

"P-Promise you'll not do anything embarrassing . . . ?" I asked in a small voice.

"I promise."

Slowly, I uncovered my face and was instantly got ambushed when Ahri quickly pressed her lips against mine, making a loud smooching noise.

Akali and Kai'Sa let out shrill cries of excitement as if they'd seen a kissing scene in a drama, while Evelynn just laughed.

When Ahri finished kissing me, I'd already hid my face behind my hands once more, blushing like crazy.

"Y-You promised!" I cried out through my hands.

"Sorry, darling," I heard her saying. "I couldn't help but kissing you on your cute lips."

I started struggling in her arms. "L-Let me go. Now I-I'm going to my room . . ."

"Oh no you don't, darling," she purred and her hold on me tightened slightly, making me unable to escape. "Evelynn, will you please open my room's door?"

I stopped struggling and uncovered my hands from my face, staring up at Ahri in confusion. "Y-You're taking me to your room . . . ?"

Evelynn raised an eyebrow at her while a sly smile spread across her lips. "Oh, Ahri . . . don't you think you're moving things too fast?"

"What do you mean?" Ahri cocked her head sideways, not understanding what Evelynn was talking about.

Evelynn's sly smile broadened by an inch. "Aren't you going to make love with him in your room tonight, my dear Foxy?"

Ahri's mouth dropped open while both of her ears straightened up, her eyes growing wide in shock. She'd a stunned expression on her face, which would've been comical if we were in a different situation.

"Wh-What?!" We both yelled in shock.

"Well, why would you escort Jeffric to your room then?" Akali asked in a matter-of-fact voice while shrugging. Her face looked as if it was on the verge of exploding with laughter.

"I hope you both have a great night together!" Kai'Sa blushed while covering her mouth to suppress her girlish giggles.

"B-B-But I don't want to kiss Ahri while only wearing my underwear!" I cried out and covered my face with my hands once more. "I-I-I refuse!"

"I-I'm not escorting him to do that!" Ahri exclaimed in a panicked voice. "I-I just want him to sleep next to me t-t-to celebrate the start of our relationship, that's all!"

"Oh . . . ok then." Was that disappointment that I heard in Evelynn's voice? 

* * *

Evelynn was expecting slightly more when she saw that Ahri intended to take Jeffric to her room but was disappointed when it turned out it was no more than just sleeping next to each other. It was really nice to see her best friend finally having a boyfriend after all the tough things she'd gone through.

 _Especially with those hate mails filled with offensive words that the haters have sent her . . ._ Evelynn thought. _She really in need of someone like Jeffric._

Speaking about Jeffric . . .

When Evelynn heard Jeffric crying out that he didn't want to kiss Ahri while only wearing his underwear, she got curious.

 _That's oddly specific . . ._ Evelynn thought while tapping the tip of her golden claw of her right index finger on her chin. Then she stared at Jeffric who was being held in Ahri's arms like a baby and an idea formed in her mind, which made a sly smile grow on her lips.

"Ahri, can I ask Jeffric something before you both go to bed?" She asked in a slightly polite manner.

Ahri was staring at her suspiciously, her eyes narrowing slightly while her lips pursed. "Sure . . . why not?"

 _"Don't you dare ask him anything inappropriate,"_ her face was saying.

Evelynn gave her a fake reassuring smile that she knew that Ahri didn't buy. Then, she moved her eyes down to the fragile-looking Jeffric. "Jeffric, hon, will you uncover your face first?"

He slowly uncovered his face while looking sideways, not making eye contact with anyone. He had an embarrassed expression on his face while his lips trembled.

 _He actually looks pretty sweet_ , Evelynn thought while licking her lips. Then she asked,"Can you tell me everything you know about making love?"

"Eve!" Ahri practically yelled while holding Jeffric closer her body, and Evelynn saw Jeffric's eyes widening and starting to struggle when the side of his body was pressed into her bosom, which was useless due to his weak strength. "D-Don't ask such things to him!"

Ahri's narrowed eyes were now burning slightly with overprotectiveness, and she growling at her with her teeth bared, her nine fox tails waving angrily behind.

"Uhh . . . i-isn't it about a man and a woman k-kissing each other on a b-bed while only wearing their u-u-underwears . . . ?" Jeffric whispered in a small voice, his eyes nervously flicking back and forth from Ahri to her. "I-I saw that in an action movie while w-watching the TV secretly in the middle of the night when I was still living with my parents . . ."

"And?"

Everybody was staring at him expectantly, including Ahri.

Jeffric just stared back at Evelynn, blinking while an adorably confused expression was on his face.

"I-Isn't that all?"

"W-Wait a second!" Akali exclaimed while pointing at him with her trembling finger. "Don't you . . . uh . . . masturbate?"

Now, Jeffric looked really confused.

"What does 'masturbate' mean?"

Ahri's tails froze in midair. Akali looked as if she was having a tick on her right eye while her jaw dropped open in sheer shock. Kai'Sa placed both of her palms on her cheeks in disbelief as she tried to say something but failed.

Evelynn slowly took off her purple sunglasses due to the jarring and unexpected answer from Jeffric, and for the first time in her life, she was speechless. She felt as if the opponent has made a move even she, Evelynn, had not expected, which was impossible because she was always a step above all others no matter what the situation was.

Moreover, Jeffric may be the first and the last person in the world who'd made the diva speechless.

 _Impossible . . ._ she thought while her mind felt it was being shut down. _How can a man not know what masturbation is?!_

Jeffric looked at everybody's shocked faces uncomfortably. "Wh-What's the matter?"

Akali was the first one to get out of her shock and she burst out laughing. "Jeffric!" She exclaimed while doubling down, wiping away at the tears that formed in her eyes from laughing. "I-I think you're too pure!" 

* * *

Ahri carried me into her room, and Evelynn closed the door behind us.

"N-N-No!" I cried out in refusal while staring helplessly up at Ahri, terror filling my core. "Let me go, Ahri!"

"Hm . . . let me think," Ahri said while staring thoughtfully up at the ceiling of her room that was now shrouded in darkness. Then, she smiled down at me playfully. "No."

"I-I might snore!" I desperately whimpered while we got closer to Ahri's large four-poster bed that might fit for five people, my heart feeling as if it was being shaken more and more as we approached it. "Y-You don't want to hear snoring sounds while sleeping, do you?!"

"I know that you don't snore, darling," she drawled. Then she leaned closer to my ear and whispered, "And if you do, I'll kiss you."

"U-Uwah!"

Ahri walked up to the side of her bed and gently placed me on the edge of the bed. Then, she pushed me, making me roll to the middle. I lay there helplessly, staring at Ahri who got onto the bed and covered most of my body with the soft blanket, only my head poking out.

"How adorable," Ahri gushed while gently stroking my cheek, making me flinch slightly.

Then, she adjusted one of the pillows on the bed to be under my head. After that, she lay down on the bed next to me after getting under the blanket with me, the side of her head resting on another pillow.

I couldn't believe it. I was lying on a famous idol's bed, and she was lying next to me face-to-face, our eyes locked with each other. My heartbeat got faster as Ahri gave me a sweet smile while closing one of her eyes, her face looking so lovely. Even though everything the room was dark, her beautiful and radiant face, golden eyes, and blond hair was visible even before my eyes could adjust to the darkness.

"Ah-Ahri, we're l-lying too close to each other," I whispered frantically while starting to move slowly away from her on the bed. "I-I'll just lie down a little bit away from—"

"Oh, no you don't."

Before I could protest, Ahri had pulled me into an embrace, and there was nothing I could do to get out of it.

"Now, now, dear," she purred and started rubbing the tip of her nose with mine making me squirm. "Don't be sacred. I just want to see my precious boyfriend's face up close before going to sleep, that's all."

"B-But still . . . I never lay on a bed with another person before in my life . . ." I stuttered. "Much l-less with a woman . . ."

She made an amused expression. "Then let's make it more exciting, shall we?"

"Wh-What do you—?"

She softly and playfully bit my lower lip. Then, after releasing it, while hugging me tightly, she rolled on the bed from left to right, making me feel dizzy. She laughed the entire time while I cried out for help. Soon, she stopped and my limp body was lying over hers, my mind feeling too dizzy to move my body off from her even though I felt my chest being pressed against her breasts. But I was straining my neck from collapsing because if I do, then my face will collide with Ahri's.

"How was it?" Ahri asked while patting me on the back.

"D-Dizzy . . ." I moaned and made eye contact with her. "Please . . . never do that again."

When our dizziness was gone, I tried to get off of Ahri, but she detained me with her arms that were around my body.

"If you want to get off me, then give me a kiss first, Jeffric," she said and winked at me teasingly. "I think it's time for _you_ to kiss _me_ , not the other way around."

"Wh-What if I don't?"

"Then I'll tickle you until you do." Her hands that were pressed onto my back started to tickle me, making my body jolt here and there while uncontrollable laughter got out of my throat, tears forming in my eyes.

"O-Ok— _Ha!_ I-I-I will kiss you!" I finally cried out in the midst of laughing and her tickling attacks ceased.

"I knew you'll never disappoint me." Ahir then closed her eyes expectantly and puckered up her lips, waiting for me to kiss her.

I gulped. _What if I mess up?_

I closed my eyes while I felt sweat trickling down my forehead and leaned forward, gently pressing my lips onto hers. When I tried to part our lips, I felt her hand pressing down on the back of my head, not letting me stop kissing her. But I didn't resist because her lips felt like heaven and I thought that I could kiss her for hours.

I even thought that I could melt into her arms.

Then, while still kissing, she rolled slightly to the side, and I felt the side of my body pressing onto the bed soft. When our lips parted, she had her sweet smile on her face while she caressed my cheek affectionately.

"You're actually good at kissing, Jeffric," she said.

"Thank you . . ." I felt myself smiling slightly with pride.

"Well, good night, sweetheart," she whispered in a now sleepy voice. "And . . . I love you."

"Love you too," I whispered back and gave her a shy smile. Then, hesitantly, I caressed one of her fox ears like she was doing to my cheek.

She purred softly and closed her eyes. "That feels good . . ."

"You're welcome . . ."

Then, we both fell asleep, hugging each other. 

* * *

_Ahri couldn't believe what she was seeing with her own eyes._

 _'Oh no . . .' She thought in despair. 'This can't be happening . . .'_

 _She'd finished a K/DA concert and she and the rest of the K/DA were heading to their van, Evelynn strolling in front of her while Kai'Sa and Akali were walking behind her. They were all wearing casual clothes because they were expecting to go back to the hotel that they'd booked. On either side of the path that they were going, countless fans were cheering their names, taking pictures or holding signs of support while the guards in black suits made sure that they didn't suddenly make a run at them._

 _It was a terribly familiar sight._

 _Ahri smiled while waving her hand at them, even though she wanted to scream in despair._

 _'Why this again . . . ? I'm sleeping next to Jeffric! I shouldn't be dreaming this . . . I shouldn't be . . .'_

 _She talked to Evelynn until they entered the van that was parked on the side of the road. She sat on her usual seat while Evelynn sat on the seat next to her and the remaining two sat on the back seats._

 _Ahri smiled while stretching her arms into the air and stretching her legs forward._

 _'Is this nightmare no longer avoidable . . . ?' She thought while feeling like clawing at herself. 'Am I never going to get out of this hellish cycle?'_

 _"Thank you!" Kai'Sa said cheerfully when the driver shut the van's sliding door and sat on the driver's seat after getting into the van via the front door. "Ahh . . . Today was exhausting! Could you take us back to our hotel rooms?"_

 _Ahri knew what was going to happen._

 _The driver will flinch, and they will be brought to the club of that cruel man. And after that, she and the rest of the K/DA crew will be raped helplessly by multiple men._

 _This nightmare will repeat tomorrow. And the day after that. And after that. And after that, until she's driven into madness._

 _There was nothing she could do about it but to wish that she'll wake up sooner._

 _But, to her utter disbelief, the driver smiled._

 _"Of course!" the driver said cheerfully. "Oh, and Jeffric is already waiting for you ladies at the hotel."_

 _Ahri couldn't believe what she was hearing._

 _The nightmare . . . was no longer a nightmare._

 _"A-Are you sure?" she asked and flinched when she realized that she could move and speak freely now._

 _"Yes," the driver answered. "He took the taxi to the hotel and gave me a call that he's already there."_

 _Ahri's felt her body starting to shake with excitement. Was this actually happening? Did the nightmare actually change? Or was this all a sick joke and she and the rest of the K/DA will be brought to the night club once more?_

 _She stared out of the van's window while pressing a palm on her chest, trying in vain to calm her heart down._

 _Soon, the van finally stopped next to a sidewalk. The driver opened the door for them, and they all pilled out. To Ahri's sheer joy, she saw that they were nowhere near the dreaded club but in a completely new location. And, standing in front of an expensive-looking hotel's entrance that was near the spot where the van was parked, was Jeffric._

 _He was wearing a white jacket, a blue T-shirt underneath it, a pair of faded jeans, and a pair of sneakers that she'd bought for him before. His long brown hair was fluttering slightly and his pair of beautiful green eyes were glinting in the colorful signs that were attached to the buildings._

 _And, he had his usual timid yet happy smile on his face. Now, he was waving his hands welcomingly and was bouncing up and down._

 _"Your concert was awesome!" he shouted happily. "You guys all did great!"_

 _"Thanks, Jeffy," Akali waved back at him while smiling proudly. "Man, I feel so tired right now . . ."_

 _Ahri was just standing on the sidewalk just for a moment, staring at Jeffric in disbelief. Then, she bolted at him and tackled him into a tight hug._

 _"Ah-Ahri?!" Jeffric stuttered, taken off guard by her sudden move. "Why are you hugging me all of a sudden?"_

 _Ahri felt like crying with joy, but instead, she forced that emotion down and smiled down at him after holding him in arm's length._

 _"Because I'm happy to see you, darling!" she said, and her smile broadened when she saw that her words made him blush._

 _"Let's get in, Ahri," Evelynn said while walking past them to the door of the hotel. "My legs need some rest."_

 _"Yes, ma'am!"_

 _Soon, they all gathered in her and Jeffric's hotel room, all lying around while chatting with each other. One time, they played rock paper scissors where the loser had to dance and Kai'Sa lost in the first round. So, Kai'Sa danced on the bed after taking off her shoes, moving her arms and legs energetically while grinning ear to ear with her usual high spirit until she collapsed while gasping for breath._

 _The second round, Jeffric lost, so he awkwardly danced in front of everyone with his head bowed in embarrassment._

 _The third round, Evelynn lost and she danced seductively toward Jeffric; slowly shaking her hips sideways while running her hands down her body, her eyes staring sideways at him while being half-closed. But, Ahri shot her down by hugging Jeffric from behind while covering his eyes with her hand._

 _It went on like this until they felt too tired to continue. After saying good nights, Ahri and Jeffric were left alone in the hotel room. Jeffric was already sitting on the bed, so she turned off the room's light._

 _Jeffric was saying that he'd sleep on the ground, but Ahri pinned him on the bed until he promised her that he'd sleep next to her on the bed instead. Then, she covered both of them in the blanket and hugged him._

 _Jeffric protested for a moment, but soon he gave in and hugged her back._

 _"Thank you, Jeffric," she whispered warmly at him as while patting his back. "Thank you for making my nightmare go away . . ._ _"_

* * *

_It was summer, and I was sitting on a familiar bench in a park. It was the place where I ate ice cream with my first girlfriend before we dated. I looked around and saw that no one was around. And when I looked down at myself, I saw that I was in my elementary school body._

 _"Why am I here . . . ?" I asked myself while feeling sad as I remembered her._

 _"To say goodbye to you," a familiar voice of an elementary school girl replied._

 _Quickly turning my head, I saw my first girlfriend sitting next to me on the bench. She wasn't there just a moment ago._

 _Her pair of big slightly-brown eyes were staring at me while a cute smile was on her face. Her long raven hair that reached her shoulders rustled slightly as the summer wind started blowing._

 _I felt my eyes tearing up as I started to sob._

 _"I-I'm sorry . . ." I sobbed while desperately wiping away tears from my eyes, to see her as long as possible._

 _The girl just gave me a sad smile. "There's nothing to be sorry about, Jeffric," she said. "It was inevitable."_

 _"I should've stopped you . . . I-I should've prevented the car crash from happening . . ."_

 _She placed a reassuring hand on mine, stopping me from blubbering more._

 _"Calm down Jeffric." Her voice soothed me, and my sob subsided slightly. "There was nothing you could've done to stop it. Now, you need to move on." Tears of joy started to stream down from her eyes. "You finally got yourself a new girlfriend, Jeffric. I'm really proud of you."_

 _"Jeffric!" Suddenly, we heard a call coming from somewhere far away. Glancing at the direction where the voice had come from, I saw a small outline of Ahri walking on the path from far away, coming directly toward us._

 _"She is calling for you." The girl got off from the bench while still staring at me with her teary eyes. "Farewell, Jeffric. Please live a happy life for me, will you?"_

 _I nodded and waved her farewell. "I-I will . . ." I choked on my words. "Goodbye . . ."_

 _With one last happy smile, she walked away._

 _I watched her go until she was nothing but a dot._

 _"Hey, Jeffric! Sorry for being late for our date."_

 _When I turned my head, I saw Ahri, panting for breath from running while smiling down at me._

 _"It's fine," I answered while quickly wiping my tears off my eyes._

 _"Let's go, shall we?" Before I could even protest, she had lifted me off the bench and was carrying me away in the opposite direction of where the girl had gone to._

 _"Yes." A smile mixed with happiness and sadness grew on my lips. "Let's go."_

* * *

"Both of them look peaceful, dear wolf," the lamb said while looking down at Jeffric and Ahri who were hugging each other while sleeping.

Lamb was crouching next to Jeffric's sleeping body on the fourposter bed, and wolf was hovering next to her.

"And happy," wolf added while nudging at Jeffric's back with his snout.

"Don't do it, wolf!" Lamb warned. "You might wake him up."

"Alright," wolf answered. Then it let out a heavy sigh. "It feels like yesterday when he was just a little child."

"That child is now an adult." Lamb softly patted Jeffric on his head. "And has matured quite a lot, even though he still has the innocence of a child."

Wolf settled next to Jeffric's head and yawned. "Time sure passes by, lamb . . ."

"It does, wolf," lamb said while lying down next to Jeffric, placing a hand on his back. "It really does." 

* * *

(A/N)

Yes, people. They finally started dating!

After a year and about eight months since it was first written, this fanfic finally contains a romantic relationship!

And, thank you for reading my fanfic! Voting and commenting will be really helpful! :)


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